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Premature ovarian failure in nobox-deficient mice is caused by defects in somatic cell invasion and germ cell cyst breakdown

  • Gonadal Physiology and Disease
  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To understand the mechanism of premature ovarian failure (POF).

Methods

The ultrastructural (electron microscopy) analysis of primordial ovarian follicles in Nobox deficient mice.

Results

We studied, for the first time, the fate of oogonia in embryonic (prenatal) mouse ovaries and showed that the abolishment of the transition from germ cell cysts to primordial follicles in the ovaries of Nobox deficient mice is caused by defects in germ cell cyst breakdown, leading to the formation of syncytial follicles instead of primordial follicles.

Conclusions

These results indicate that POF syndrome in Nobox deficient mice results from the faulty signaling between somatic and germ line components during embryonic development. In addition, the extremely unusual and abnormal presence of adherens junctions between unseparated oocytes within syncytial follicles indicates that faulty communication between somatic and germ cells is involved in, or leads to, abnormalities in the cell adhesion program.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Elzbieta Kisiel for preparing the figures, Ada Jankowska for technical help and Prof. Elzbieta Pyza for providing electron microscopy facilities. This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health Grants HD44858, HD058125, and the 413 March of Dimes grant #6-FY08-313 to AR.

Author contribution

Agnieszka Lechowska processed EM samples and analyzed and interpreted data, Szczepan Bilinski analyzed and interpreted EM data, Youngsok Choi maintained mouse colonies and helped with interpretation of EM, Yonghyun Shin performed immunohistochemistry with Tex14 and interpreted the data, Malgorzata Kloc wrote the manuscript, analyzed data, coordinated study Aleksandar Rajkovic, conception, design and data analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland

    Agnieszka Lechowska & Szczepan Bilinski

  2. Department of Biomedical Sciences, CHA University, Seoul, The Republic of Korea

    Youngsok Choi

  3. Magee Women’s Research Institute, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Yonghyun Shin & Aleksandar Rajkovic

  4. Department of Surgery, The Methodist Hospital and The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA

    Malgorzata Kloc

Authors
  1. Agnieszka Lechowska
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  2. Szczepan Bilinski
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  3. Youngsok Choi
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  4. Yonghyun Shin
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  5. Malgorzata Kloc
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  6. Aleksandar Rajkovic
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Malgorzata Kloc or Aleksandar Rajkovic.

Additional information

Capsule Premature ovarian failure (POF) syndrome in Nobox deficient mice results from the faulty signaling between somatic and germ line components during embryonic development.

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Lechowska, A., Bilinski, S., Choi, Y. et al. Premature ovarian failure in nobox-deficient mice is caused by defects in somatic cell invasion and germ cell cyst breakdown. J Assist Reprod Genet 28, 583–589 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-011-9553-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-011-9553-5

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