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Life and death of female gametes during oogenesis and folliculogenesis

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Abstract

The vertebrate ovary is an extremely dynamic organ in which excessive or defective follicles are rapidly and effectively eliminated early in ontogeny and thereafter continuously throughout reproductive life. More than 99% of follicles disappear, primarily due to apoptosis of granulosa cells, and only a minute fraction of the surviving follicles successfully complete the path to ovulation. The balance between signals for cell death and survival determines the destiny of the follicles. An abnormally high rate of cell death followed by atresia can negatively affect fertility and eventually lead irreversibly to premature ovarian failure. In this review we provide a short overview of the role of programmed cell death in prenatal differentiation of the primordial germ cells and in postnatal folliculogenesis. We also discuss the issue of neo-oogenesis. Next, we highlight molecules involved in regulation of granulosa cell apoptosis. We further discuss the potential use of scores for apoptosis in granulosa cells and characteristics of follicular fluid as prognostic markers for predicting the outcome of assisted reproduction. Potential therapeutic strategies for combating premature ovarian failure are also addressed.

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Acknowledgements

Dmitri V. Krysko is supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the BOF (Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds 01P05807), Ghent University. We thank Dr. Amin Bredan for editing the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, Molecular Signaling and Cell Death Unit, VIB, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, (Zwijnaarde), Belgium

    Dmitri V. Krysko & Peter Vandenabeele

  2. Department of Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium

    Dmitri V. Krysko & Peter Vandenabeele

  3. Department of Human Anatomy, Embryology, Histology and Medical Physics, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 171, 4B3, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Araceli Diez-Fraile, Godelieve Criel & Katharina D’Herde

  4. Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Saratov State Medical University, B. Kazashia 112, 410012, Saratov, Russia

    Andrei A. Svistunov

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  1. Dmitri V. Krysko
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  2. Araceli Diez-Fraile
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Correspondence to Dmitri V. Krysko.

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Krysko, D.V., Diez-Fraile, A., Criel, G. et al. Life and death of female gametes during oogenesis and folliculogenesis. Apoptosis 13, 1065–1087 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10495-008-0238-1

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