Transcriptional and signaling dynamics of early folliculogenesis revealed by staged ovarian follicle profiling
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ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE347428 | GEO | 2026/09/22
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:Female fertility is determined in part by the size and development of the primordial follicle pool. The current study investigates the role of glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in the regulation of primordial follicle development in the ovary. Ovaries from four-day old female rat pups were maintained in organ culture for ten days in the absence (control) or presence of GDNF or kit ligand/stem cell factor (KL). Ovaries treated with GDNF contained a significant increase in developing follicles, similar to that observed with KL treatment previously shown to promote follicle development. The actions of GDNF on the ovarian transcriptome were investigated with a microarray analysis. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that GDNF is localized to oocyte cytoplasm in follicles of all developmental stages, as well as to cumulus granulosa cells and theca cells in antral follicles. GDNF receptor alpha 1 (GFRalpha1) staining was localized to oocyte cytoplasm of primordial and primary follicles, and at reduced levels in oocytes of antral follicles. GFRalpha1 was present in mural granulosa cells of antral follicles, theca cells, and the ovarian surface epithelium. The localization studies were confirmed with molecular analysis. Microarray analysis was used to identify changes in the ovarian transcriptome and further elucidate the signaling network regulating early follicle development. Observations indicate that GDNF promotes primordial follicle development and mediates autocrine and paracrine cell-cell interactions required during folliculogenesis. In contrast to the testis, ovarian GDNF is predominantly produced by germ cells (oocytes) rather than somatic cells. Keywords: expression analysis, glial derived neurotrophic factor, follicle transition, ovary
2008-04-11 | GSE11133 | GEO
Project description:Female fertility is determined in part by the size and development of the primordial follicle pool. The current study investigates the role of glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in the regulation of primordial follicle development in the ovary. Ovaries from four-day old female rat pups were maintained in organ culture for ten days in the absence (control) or presence of GDNF or kit ligand/stem cell factor (KL). Ovaries treated with GDNF contained a significant increase in developing follicles, similar to that observed with KL treatment previously shown to promote follicle development. The actions of GDNF on the ovarian transcriptome were investigated with a microarray analysis. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that GDNF is localized to oocyte cytoplasm in follicles of all developmental stages, as well as to cumulus granulosa cells and theca cells in antral follicles. GDNF receptor alpha 1 (GFRalpha1) staining was localized to oocyte cytoplasm of primordial and primary follicles, and at reduced levels in oocytes of antral follicles. GFRalpha1 was present in mural granulosa cells of antral follicles, theca cells, and the ovarian surface epithelium. The localization studies were confirmed with molecular analysis. Microarray analysis was used to identify changes in the ovarian transcriptome and further elucidate the signaling network regulating early follicle development. Observations indicate that GDNF promotes primordial follicle development and mediates autocrine and paracrine cell-cell interactions required during folliculogenesis. In contrast to the testis, ovarian GDNF is predominantly produced by germ cells (oocytes) rather than somatic cells. Experiment Overall Design: RNA samples from two control groups (pooled untreated cultured ovaries) are compared to two treated groups (pooled cultured ovaries treated with GDNF)
2008-06-11 | E-GEOD-11133 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:A key transition in ovarian follicular development is the activation of resting primordial follicles to the growing primary follicle stage. The signals that regulate activation are still not well understood, especially in non-rodent species. we combined a microarray approach with an in vitro system to gain insight into the regulation of follicle activation. Genes and pathways identified in this study provide interesting candidates for further investigation of mechanisms underlying follicle activation. Fetal bovine ovarian cortical pieces enriched for primordial or primary follicles were obtained by culture with cotrol medium supplemented with TS+ (transferrin, selenous acid, BSA, and linoleic acid) or with insulin (ITS+), a factor that stimulate bovine follicle activation. Total RNA was extracted. Differences in global gene expression profiles between pieces enriched for primordial or primary follicles were determined by microcarray analysis.
2015-10-31 | E-GEOD-69094 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:The assembly of the developmentally arrested primordial follicle and subsequent transition to the primary follicle are poorly understood processes critical to ovarian biology. Abnormal primordial follicle development can lead to pathologies such as premature ovarian failure. The current study used a genome-wide expression profile to investigate primordial follicle assembly and development. Rat ovaries with predominantly unassembled, primordial, or primary follicles were obtained. RNA from these ovaries was hybridized to rat microarray gene chips, and the gene expression (i.e., ovarian transcriptome) was compared between the developmental stages. Analysis of the ovarian transcriptome demonstrated 148 genes up-regulated and 50 genes down-regulated between the unassembled and primordial follicle stages. Observations demonstrate 80 genes up-regulated and 44 genes down-regulated between the primordial and primary follicle stages. The analysis demonstrated 2332 genes common among the three developmental stages, 146 genes specific for the unassembled follicles, 94 genes specific for the primordial follicles, and 151 genes specific for the primary follicles. Steroidogenic genes are up-regulated between unassembled and primordial follicles, and then many are again down-regulated between primordial and primary follicles. The hormones inhibin and Mullerian inhibitory substance (MIS) display a similar pattern of expression with the highest levels of mRNA in the primordial follicles. Several novel unknown genes that had dramatic changes in expression during primordial follicle development were also identified. Gene families/clusters identified that were up-regulated from unassembled to primordial follicles include growth factors and signal transduction gene clusters, whereas a down-regulated gene family was the synaptonemal complex genes associated with meiosis. Gene families/clusters that were up-regulated between primordial and primary follicles included immune response genes, metabolic enzymes, and proteases, whereas down-regulated gene families include the globulin genes and some steroidogenic genes. The expression of several growth factors changed during primordial follicle development, including vascular endothelial growth factor and insulin-like growth factor II. Elucidation of how these changes in gene expression coordinate primordial follicle assembly and the primordial to primary follicle transition provides a better understanding of these critical biological processes and allows selection of candidate regulatory factors for further investigation. Experiment Overall Design: RNA samples from two control groups (pooled untreated cultured ovaries) are compared to two treated groups (pooled cultured ovaries treated with progesterone)
2008-06-16 | E-GEOD-9300 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:The assembly of the developmentally arrested primordial follicle and subsequent transition to the primary follicle are poorly understood processes critical to ovarian biology. Abnormal primordial follicle development can lead to pathologies such as premature ovarian failure. The current study used a genome-wide expression profile to investigate primordial follicle assembly and development. Rat ovaries with predominantly unassembled, primordial, or primary follicles were obtained. RNA from these ovaries was hybridized to rat microarray gene chips, and the gene expression (i.e., ovarian transcriptome) was compared between the developmental stages. Analysis of the ovarian transcriptome demonstrated 148 genes up-regulated and 50 genes down-regulated between the unassembled and primordial follicle stages. Observations demonstrate 80 genes up-regulated and 44 genes down-regulated between the primordial and primary follicle stages. The analysis demonstrated 2332 genes common among the three developmental stages, 146 genes specific for the unassembled follicles, 94 genes specific for the primordial follicles, and 151 genes specific for the primary follicles. Steroidogenic genes are up-regulated between unassembled and primordial follicles, and then many are again down-regulated between primordial and primary follicles. The hormones inhibin and Mullerian inhibitory substance (MIS) display a similar pattern of expression with the highest levels of mRNA in the primordial follicles. Several novel unknown genes that had dramatic changes in expression during primordial follicle development were also identified. Gene families/clusters identified that were up-regulated from unassembled to primordial follicles include growth factors and signal transduction gene clusters, whereas a down-regulated gene family was the synaptonemal complex genes associated with meiosis. Gene families/clusters that were up-regulated between primordial and primary follicles included immune response genes, metabolic enzymes, and proteases, whereas down-regulated gene families include the globulin genes and some steroidogenic genes. The expression of several growth factors changed during primordial follicle development, including vascular endothelial growth factor and insulin-like growth factor II. Elucidation of how these changes in gene expression coordinate primordial follicle assembly and the primordial to primary follicle transition provides a better understanding of these critical biological processes and allows selection of candidate regulatory factors for further investigation. Keywords: expression analysis, developmental time course, follicle assembly, ovary
2007-10-12 | GSE9300 | GEO
Project description:Separate transcription profiling of oocytes and granulosa cells for each follicle stage: primordial (PD), primary (PM), secondary (SC) follicles and the small antral stage (SA) obtained by Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) and RNAseq. The purpose of this study was to describe global gene expression during early ovarian folliculogenesis for each follicular compartment, to identify differential and specific gene expression between the 2 follicular compartments and during follicular development, to investigate specific function and pathways and to explore bi-directional communication between oocytes and GC.
2014-01-29 | E-MTAB-1587 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Primordial follicles are the first class of follicles formed in the mammalian ovary and are comprised of an oocyte surrounded by a layer of squamous pre-granulosa cells. This developmental class remains in a non-growing state until individual follicles activate to initiate folliculogenesis. What regulates the timing of follicle activation and the upstream signals that govern these processes are major unanswered questions in ovarian biology. This is partly due to the paucity of data on staged follicle cells since isolating and manipulating individual oocytes and somatic cells from early follicle stages are challenging. To date, most studies on isolated primordial follicles have been conducted on cells collected from animal-age- or oocyte size-specific samples, which encompass multiple follicular stages. Here, we report a method for collecting primordial follicles and their associated oocytes and somatic cells from neonatal murine ovaries using liberase, DNase I, and Accutase. This methodology allows for the identification and collection of follicles immediately post-activation enabling unprecedented interrogation of the primordial-to-primary follicle transition. Molecular profiling by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) revealed that processes including organelle disassembly and cadherin binding were enriched in oocytes and somatic cells as they transitioned from primordial to the primary follicle stage. Furthermore, targets including WNT4, TGFβ, FOXO3, and a network of transcription factors were identified in the transitioning oocytes and somatic cells as potential upstream regulators that collectively may drive follicle activation. Taken together, we have developed a more precise characterization and selection method for studying staged-follicle cells, revealing several novel regulators of early folliculogenesis.
2022-06-29 | GSE206681 | GEO
Project description:A key transition in ovarian follicular development is the activation of resting primordial follicles to the growing primary follicle stage. The signals that regulate activation are still not well understood, especially in non-rodent species. we combined a microarray approach with an in vitro system to gain insight into the regulation of follicle activation. Genes and pathways identified in this study provide interesting candidates for further investigation of mechanisms underlying follicle activation.
2015-10-31 | GSE69094 | GEO
Project description:Follicles of polycystic ovaries (PCO) often become arrested in early antral stages at around 3 to 11 mm in diameter. The condition disturbs dominant follicle selection and may result in altered ovulation and anovulation. During the growth and development of human follicles, the follicular fluid (FF) constitutes the avascular microenvironment in which the oocyte develops and acts as a vehicle for hormone signaling between cues from circulation and follicular cells. Previous proteomics studies performed on FF from women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) have revealed information on the protein changes associated with the pathophysiology of this disorder. However, these studies have been conducted on FF samples obtained in connection with oocyte pick-up during ovarian stimulation right at the time of ovulation and are limited to follicular conditions during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. This study aimed to detect proteomic alterations in FF from human small antral follicles (hSAF) obtained from women with PCO as compared to normal women.
2022-04-07 | PXD031485 | Pride
Project description:The ability to grow undifferentiated oocytes in vitro from primordial follicles would increase the availability of fully grown oocytes in fertility preservation programs and other downstream applications. To date, the development of living offspring in vitro from the primordial follicle reserve has only been achieved in mice, proving the principle of the potential value of these follicle cultures as a source of competent oocytes. In certain pathophysiological conditions, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, premature ovarian failure, or in ovarian and blood cancer where the ovarian tissue cannot be reintroduced into the patient, it is essential to isolate these follicles from the surrounding tissue and culture them in vitro. However, culture systems to produce mature oocytes from the isolated primordial follicles are still experimental. Upon isolation from the ovarian microenvironment, a critical limiting factor is follicle death after a short period of culture. Our study defines a serum-free culture system capable of sustaining bovine primordial follicles to more than 60% viability for 24 hours. Using this system as a base, we employ RNA-Seq to advance the knowledge of the main transcriptional events and molecular factors determining follicle fate in a 2D culture system and suggest the role of ferroptosis in bringing about primordial follicle death. Future ameliorations to the culture system should not only inhibit such programmed cell death mechanisms but also ensure the physiological compliance of the genes regulating primordial follicle activation and transition to the primary stage with effective supplementation media to attain isolated primordial follicle development in vitro.
2025-06-18 | GSE283263 | GEO