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2 - Ontogeny of the mammalian ovary

from Section 2 - Life cycle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 October 2013

By
Anne Grete Byskov  and
Claus Yding Andersen
Edited by
Alan Trounson ,
Roger Gosden  and
Ursula Eichenlaub-Ritter
Anne Grete Byskov
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Juliane Marie Center, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Claus Yding Andersen
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Juliane Marie Centre, University Hospital of Copenhagen, and Faculty of Health Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Alan Trounson
Affiliation:
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Roger Gosden
Affiliation:
Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility, Cornell University, New York
Ursula Eichenlaub-Ritter
Affiliation:
Universität Bielefeld, Germany
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Summary

Introduction

Mammalian ovarian formation and differentiation takes place early in life, often before birth, but the ovary is not ready to fulfill its main purpose, that is, to ovulate a mature oocyte, until puberty. During early fetal development the germ cells populate the gonadal areas in close association with the mesonephros. The following developmental pattern of the ovary differs greatly among species, but one parameter is a must for all: each germ cell differentiates to an oocyte and becomes together with granulosa cells enclosed in a follicular entity. The pool of follicles is final and determines the length of the future reproductive lifespan. The finely tuned interaction between germ cells and somatic cells early in life is therefore crucial.

Origin and migration of primordial germ cells (PGCs) from the epiblast to the gonadal anlage: role of the autonomic nervous system

The classic concept of gonadal formation is that the PGCs arise in the proximal part of the yolk sac, the proximal epiblast [1], and migrate a relatively long distance within the hindgut that grows towards the area where the gonads will develop, around somite 16 [2]. Then the PGCs leave the hindgut and move towards the developing gonads at the ventral part of the mesonephros. Thus, the PGCs are first guided by the hindgut and thereafter by other mechanisms to the gonadal anlage. The importance of the hindgut for PGC movement was shown in Sox17-null mouse embryos in which the hindgut does not expand and the PGCs become immobilized in the hindgut [3].

Type
Chapter
Information
Biology and Pathology of the Oocyte
Role in Fertility, Medicine and Nuclear Reprograming
 , pp. 12 - 23
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2013

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