Bioscientifica Proceedings

Summary. Data on the structure, quantitation, origins and functions of the large luteal (LL) and small luteal (SL) cells of sheep, goats and cattle are reviewed. Both LL and SL cells show ultrastructural features consistent with a steroidogenic function. However, in addition to differences in size and shape, LL cells differ from SL cells primarily in possessing large numbers of secretory granules, suggesting an additional protein/polypeptide synthetic and secr...

Summary. Milked dairy cows generally have a shorter post-partum interval to ovarian cyclicity than suckling dairy or beef cows. In milked and suckling cows, there is a strong seasonal influence with spring-calving cows remaining anoestrous longer. Increasing the suckling intensity further delays the onset of ovarian cyclicity, probably by increasing the frequency or strength of its inhibitory influence on hypothalamic activity. Plasma FSH levels rise in most c...

The pituitary response in cattle to treatment with GnRH agonist has two phases. In the acute phase secretion of LH is increased, while the chronic phase is characterized by a downregulation of GnRH receptors and insensitivity of gonadotrophs to natural sequence GnRH. After long-term treatment with GnRH agonist, cattle do not have pulsatile secretion of LH but maintain basal LH. This is associated with reduced pituitary contents of LH, LH mRNA, FSH and FSH mRNA. Long-term treat...

Animals adjust the time of year that they reproduce through their ability to perceive and respond to critical aspects of their environment, such as photoperiod, nutrition or the socio–sexual milieu, and their genotype determines the degree of response to each stimulus. Ultimately, information from environmental cues filters through to the GnRH neurones in the brain which are the primary regulator of fertility. Each of these cues has been studied in isolation and the mech...

Evolution has shaped regulatory systems to improve the chance of reproductive success in a somewhat unpredictable environment. One of the more powerful regulators of reproductive function in both sexes is metabolic status, defined as the availability of nutrients and energy to the tissues. Here, we briefly review the basics of the relationship between metabolic status and the activity of the system that controls pulsatile GnRH and LH secretion. We then reflect on these relatio...

Advances in the analyses of human and other higher eukaryotic genomes have disclosed a large fraction of the genetic material (ca 98%) which does not code for proteins. Major portion of this non-coding genome is in fact transcribed into an enormous repertoire of functional non coding RNA molecules (ncRNAs) rather than encoding any proteins. Recent fascinating and fast progress in bioinformatic, high-throughput sequencing and other biochemical approaches have fuelled rapid ...

Summary. Synthesis of biologically active LH is complex, due in part to its hetero-dimeric subunit structure and to the numerous post-translation modifications of each subunit. Through the use of mammalian expression vectors we have been able to introduce the bovine α subunit and LH-β genes into a Chinese hamster ovary cell line deficient in dihydrofolate reductase. The bovine genes are actively expressed and the Chinese hamster ovary cells secrete b...

Pig embryos can be cultured using a number of different strategies including complex approaches like culture in vivo in a surrogate oviduct (rabbit, sheep, mouse), culture in mouse oviducts in organ culture, and co-culture of embryos with cells in addition to simple approaches like culture in defined media or salt solutions. Addition of serum to medium has been of particular importance where blastocyst development and hatching are required. Pig conceptuses (day 1...

The uterus plays a central role in the reproductive biology of mammals. Adaptation of the uterus from an oviparous to a viviparous nature required changes that involved production of a uterine environment that could support the development of the embryo and fetus. Production of a suitable environment includes the synthesis and secretion of products by the uterine endometrium. However, the uterine endometrium is not a single homogeneous unit, but rather consists of several...

Implantation/placentation in domestic pigs is preceded by synthesis ot oestrogen by the conceptus to maintain functional corpora lutea throughout pregnancy and a rapid morphological transformation of conceptuses from spherical to long filamentous thread-like structures. Initial conceptus expansion, reaching a metre in length, not only delineates the surface area for placental attachment, but also provides the mechanism for delivery of oestrogen to signal events necessary ...