Triggers and biological processes controlling male or female gonadal differentiation vary in vertebrates, with sex determination (SD) governed by environmental factors or simple to complex genetic mechanisms that evolved repeatedly and independently in various groups. Here, we review sex evolution across major clades of vertebrates with information on SD, sexual development and reproductive modes. We offer an up-to-date review of divergence times, species diversity, genomic resources, genome size, occurrence and nature of polyploids, SD systems, sex chromosomes, SD genes, dosage compensation and sex-biased gene expression. Advances in sequencing technologies now enable us to study the evolution of SD at broader evolutionary scales, and we now hope to pursue a sexomics integrative research initiative across vertebrates. The vertebrate sexome comprises interdisciplinary and integrated information on sexual differentiation, development and reproduction at all biological levels, from genomes, transcriptomes and proteomes, to the organs involved in sexual and sex-specific processes, including gonads, secondary sex organs and those with transcriptional sex-bias. The sexome also includes ontogenetic and behavioural aspects of sexual differentiation, including malfunction and impairment of SD, sexual differentiation and fertility. Starting from data generated by high-throughput approaches, we encourage others to contribute expertise to building understanding of the sexomes of many key vertebrate species. This article is part of the theme issue 'Challenging the paradigm in sex chromosome evolution: empirical and theoretical insights with a focus on vertebrates (Part I)'.

• Klíčová slova
• evolution, genomics, reproduction, sex chromosomes, sex determination, vertebrates,
• MeSH
• biologická evoluce * MeSH
• délka genomu * MeSH
• molekulární evoluce MeSH
• obratlovci genetika   MeSH
• ovarium růst a vývoj   MeSH
• pohlavní chromozomy genetika   MeSH
• procesy určující pohlaví * MeSH
• sexuální diferenciace genetika   MeSH
• testis růst a vývoj   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH

Lamin C2 (LMN C2) is a short product of the lamin a gene. It is a germ cell-specific lamin and has been extensively studied in male germ cells. In this study, we focussed on the expression and localization of LMN C2 in fully-grown germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes. We detected LMN C2 in the fully-grown germinal vesicle oocytes of various mammalian species with confirmation done by immunoblotting the wild type and Lmnc2 gene deleted testes. Expression of LMN C2 tagged with GFP showed localization of LMN C2 to the nuclear membrane of the oocyte. Moreover, the LMN C2 protein notably disappeared after nuclear envelope breakdown (NEBD) and the expression of LMN C2 was significantly reduced in the oocytes from aged females and ceased altogether during meiotic maturation. These results provide new insights regarding LMN C2 expression in the oocytes of various mammalian species.

• MeSH
• jaderný obal genetika   MeSH
• laminin genetika   MeSH
• meióza genetika   MeSH
• messenger RNA genetika   MeSH
• myši knockoutované MeSH
• myši MeSH
• oocyty růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• oogeneze genetika   MeSH
• ovarium růst a vývoj   MeSH
• spermatocyty růst a vývoj   MeSH
• testis růst a vývoj   MeSH
• vývojová regulace genové exprese genetika   MeSH
• zárodečné buňky růst a vývoj   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• myši MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• lamin C2 MeSH Prohlížeč
• laminin MeSH
• messenger RNA MeSH

Fertilization is a multistep process during which two terminally differentiated haploid cells, an egg and a sperm, combine to produce a totipotent diploid zygote. In the early 1950s, it became possible to fertilize mammalian eggs in vitro and study the sequence of cellular and molecular events leading to embryo development. Despite all the achievements of assisted reproduction in the last four decades, remarkably little is known about the molecular aspects of human conception. Current fertility research in animal models is casting more light on the complexity of the process all our lives start with. This review article provides an update on the investigation of mammalian fertilization and highlights the practical implications of scientific discoveries in the context of human reproduction and reproductive medicine.

• Klíčová slova
• Fertilization, Gamete biology, Human reproduction, In vitro fertilization,
• MeSH
• asistovaná reprodukce trendy   MeSH
• diploidie MeSH
• embryonální vývoj genetika   MeSH
• fertilizace in vitro trendy   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• modely u zvířat MeSH
• ovarium růst a vývoj   MeSH
• spermie růst a vývoj   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• zygota růst a vývoj   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

The physiological processes that drive the development of ovarian follicle, as well as the process of oogenesis, are quite well known. Granulosa cells are major players in this occurrence, being the somatic element of the female gamete development. They participate directly in the processes of oogenesis, building the cumulus-oocyte complex surrounding the ovum. In addition to that, they have a further impact on the reproductive processes, being a place of steroid sex hormone synthesis and secretion. It is known that the follicle development creates a major need for angiogenesis and blood vessel development in the ovary. In this study, we use novel molecular approaches to analyze markers of these processes in porcine granulosa cultured primarily in vitro. The cells were recovered from mature sus scrofa specimen after slaughter. They were then subjected to enzymatic digestion and culture primarily for a short term. The RNA was extracted from cultures in specific time periods (0h, 24h, 48h, 96h, and 144h) and analyzed using expression microarrays. The genes that exhibited fold change bigger than |2|, and adjusted p-value lower than 0.05, were considered differentially expressed. From these, we have chosen the members of "angiogenesis," "blood vessel development," "blood vessel morphogenesis," "cardiovascular system development," and "vasculature development" for further selection. CCL2, FGFR2, SFRP2, PDPN, DCN, CAV1, CHI3L1, ITGB3, FN1, and LOX which are upregulated, as well as CXCL10, NEBL, IHH, TGFBR3, SCUBE1, IGF1, EDNRA, RHOB, PPARD, and SLITRK5 genes whose expression is downregulated through the time of culture, were chosen as the potential markers, as their expression varied the most during the time of culture. The fold changes were further validated with RT-qPCR. The genes were described, with special attention to their possible function in GCs during culture. The results broaden the general knowledge about GC's in vitro molecular processes and might serve as a point of reference for further in vivo and clinical studies.

• MeSH
• cévy růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• folikulární buňky cytologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• fyziologická neovaskularizace genetika   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• morfogeneze genetika   MeSH
• oocyty růst a vývoj   MeSH
• oogeneze genetika   MeSH
• ovariální folikul růst a vývoj   MeSH
• ovarium růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• prasata MeSH
• primární buněčná kultura MeSH
• proteosyntéza genetika   MeSH
• vývojová regulace genové exprese genetika   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) reflects sex-specific solutions to the allocation of energy among growth, reproduction and survival; however, the proximate mechanisms behind these solutions are still poorly known even in vertebrates. In squamates, sexual differences in body size used to be attributed to direct energy allocation to energetically demanding processes, largely to reproduction. In addition, SSD is assumed to be controlled by specific endogenous mechanisms regulating growth in a sex-specific manner, namely masculinization by male gonadal androgens or feminization by ovarian hormones. We performed a manipulative growth experiment in females of the male-larger gecko Paroedura picta in order to test the reproductive cost hypothesis, the male androgen hypothesis and the ovarian hormone hypothesis. Specifically, we investigated the effect of total ovariectomy, prepubertal ovariectomy, unilateral ovariectomy, and total ovariectomy followed by exogenous estradiol, dihydrotestosterone or testosterone treatment, on female growth in comparison to males and reproductively active females. The present results and the results of our previous experiments do not support the hypotheses that SSD reflects direct energy allocation to reproduction and that male gonadal androgens are involved. However, all lines of evidence, particularly the comparable growth of reproducing intact and unilaterally ovariectomized females, were concordant with the control of SSD by ovarian hormones. We suggest that feminization of growth by female gonadal hormones should be taken into consideration as an endogenous pathway responsible for the ontogeny of SSD in squamates.

• Klíčová slova
• Egg size, Estradiol, Invariant clutch size, Lizards, Testosterone, Unilateral ovariectomy,
• MeSH
• dihydrotestosteron metabolismus   MeSH
• estradiol metabolismus   MeSH
• ještěři růst a vývoj   fyziologie   MeSH
• ovarektomie MeSH
• ovarium růst a vývoj   fyziologie   MeSH
• pohlavní dimorfismus MeSH
• rozmnožování MeSH
• testosteron metabolismus   MeSH
• velikost těla MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• dihydrotestosteron MeSH
• estradiol MeSH
• testosteron MeSH

The study investigated the effects of postnatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the development of the rat ovary. Neonates were injected on each postnatal day 1-14 with benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), benz(a)anthracene (BaA) and benzo(k)fluoranthene (BkF) (0.1, 1.0, 5.0 or 10.0 mg kg(-1)), ethynylestradiol (EE; 1.0 µg kg(-1)) or a vehicle (control group). The rats were killed on day 23. Postnatal exposure to BaP increased the total number of antral follicles in ovaries (P < 0.05) and the number of nonatretic follicles (P < 0.01) as a result of a lower degree of apoptosis of granulosa cells, and the thickness of theca cell layers (P < 0.01). Similar histological findings were observed after BaA administration. Conversely, BkF exposure caused a decrease in the number of antral follicles, but did not alter the other investigated parameters. Degeneration of primordial oocytes after exposure to PAHs was observed only after exposure to BaP. Treatment with BaP at doses of 1.0 and 10.0 mg kg(-1) impaired 28.1 and 60.3% of the primordial follicles, respectively. Substantial alterations in ovarian ERβ expression were detected in the rats; their intensity differed with the type of PAH. Response of the ovaries to EE (three injections of 1.0 µg kg(-1) on postnatal days 20-22) in rats exposed to PAHs was suppressed in contrast to the controls. The study showed that postnatal exposure to BaP, BaA and BkF altered ovarian ERβ expression, disturbed morphological development of the ovaries and caused ovarian dysfunction in immature rats.

• MeSH
• apoptóza účinky léků   MeSH
• endokrinní disruptory toxicita   MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• nemoci ovaria chemicky indukované   patologie   MeSH
• novorozená zvířata MeSH
• ovarium účinky léků   růst a vývoj   patologie   MeSH
• polycyklické aromatické uhlovodíky toxicita   MeSH
• potkani Wistar MeSH
• stárnutí patologie   MeSH
• vystavení vlivu životního prostředí škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• endokrinní disruptory MeSH
• polycyklické aromatické uhlovodíky MeSH

Analogs of the H-Tyr-Asp-Pro-Ala-Pro-OH pentapeptide with D-amino acid residues either in differing or in all of the positions of the sequences were prepared and their oostatic potency was compared with that of the parent pentapeptide. The D-amino acid residue containing analogs exhibited an equal or even higher oostatic effect in the flesh fly Neobellieria bullata than the parent peptide. Contrary to the rapid incorporation of radioactivity from the labeled H-Tyr-Asp-[3H]Pro-Ala-Pro-OH pentapeptide into the ovaries of N. bullata in vitro, the radioactivity incorporation from the labeled pentapeptides with either D-aspartic acid or D-alanine was significantly delayed. As compared to the parent pentapeptide, also the degradation of both the D-amino acid-containing analogs mentioned above proceeded at a significantly lower rate. The decreased intake of radioactivity, the lower degradation and finally also the high oostatic effect may be ascribed to the decreased enzymatic degradation of the peptide bonds neighboring the D-amino acid residues in the corresponding peptides. The introduction of the non-coded D: -amino acids thus enhances the oostatic effect in N. bullata owing to the prolonged half-life of the corresponding pentapeptides, which can thus affect more ovarian cells.

• MeSH
• alanin chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• aminokyseliny biosyntéza   chemie   MeSH
• kyselina D-aspartová chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• magnetická rezonanční spektroskopie MeSH
• ovarium cytologie   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• peptidy chemie   MeSH
• proteolýza MeSH
• Sarcophagidae chemie   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• tritium chemie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• alanin MeSH
• aminokyseliny MeSH
• kyselina D-aspartová MeSH
• peptidy MeSH
• tritium MeSH

The uptake and metabolism of the oostatic pentapeptide analogue of trypsin modulating oostatic factor (TMOF), H-Tyr-Asp-Pro-Ala-Pro-OH (5P), in ovaries of Neobellieria bullata (Parker) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) were analyzed during their developmental stages. During selected stages of yolk deposition, the fate of [3HPro(3)]5P after its in vivo injection was compared to its uptake after in vitro incubation of dissected ovaries. The ovaries were analyzed from 30 s to 180 min after incubation. A detection sensitivity of 60-100 fmol of the labeled 5P was achieved using radio-high performance liquid chromatography. While the uptake of the applied radioactivity strongly depended on the stage of vitellogenesis, especially for the in vitro experiment, degradation of 5P was very quick and independent of whether the label was injected or incubated with the ovaries, regardless of the developmental stage of ovaries. No tracers of 5P were detected at 30 s after applying the labeled 5P in all tests.

• MeSH
• biologický transport MeSH
• Diptera metabolismus   MeSH
• orgánové kultury - kultivační techniky MeSH
• ovarium růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• peptidy metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• peptidy MeSH

In mammalian somatic cells, several pathways that converge on deadenylation, decapping, and 5'-3' degradation are found in cytoplasmic foci known as P-bodies. Because controlled mRNA stability is essential for oocyte-to-zygote transition, we examined the dynamics of P-body components in mouse oocytes. We report that oocyte growth is accompanied by loss of P-bodies and a subcortical accumulation of several RNA-binding proteins, including DDX6, CPEB, YBX2 (MSY2), and the exon junction complex. These proteins form transient RNA-containing aggregates in fully grown oocytes with a surrounded nucleolus chromatin configuration. These aggregates disperse during oocyte maturation, consistent with recruitment of maternal mRNAs that occurs during this time. In contrast, levels of DCP1A are low during oocyte growth, and DCP1A does not colocalize with DDX6 in the subcortical aggregates. The amount of DCP1A markedly increases during meiosis, which correlates with the first wave of destabilization of maternal mRNAs. We propose that the cortex of growing oocytes serves as an mRNA storage compartment, which contains a novel type of RNA granule related to P-bodies.

• MeSH
• buněčná diferenciace fyziologie   MeSH
• cytoplazmatická granula metabolismus   MeSH
• endoribonukleasy MeSH
• intracelulární prostor MeSH
• konformace proteinů MeSH
• multiproteinové komplexy metabolismus   MeSH
• myši inbrední C57BL MeSH
• myši MeSH
• oocyty metabolismus   MeSH
• ovarium růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• proteiny vázající RNA fyziologie   MeSH
• ribonukleoproteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• RNA čepičky metabolismus   MeSH
• RNA messenger skladovaná metabolismus   MeSH
• trans-aktivátory metabolismus   MeSH
• vývojová regulace genové exprese fyziologie   MeSH
• vztahy mezi strukturou a aktivitou MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• myši MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Názvy látek
• endoribonukleasy MeSH
• multiproteinové komplexy MeSH
• proteiny vázající RNA MeSH
• ribonukleoproteiny MeSH
• RNA čepičky MeSH
• RNA messenger skladovaná MeSH
• smad4-interacting protein SMIF, mouse MeSH Prohlížeč
• trans-aktivátory MeSH

1. The onset of lay, quality of eggs during early lay and gonadal development of both sexes were analysed in meat-type lines of Japanese quail, HG and LG divergently selected for high and low relative weight gain between 11 and 28 d of age, respectively, and constant body weight (BW) at 49 d of age. 2. The LG line was sexually mature at an earlier age and lower BW than the HG line. This corresponded with the trend during embryonic and early postnatal development. 3. Analysis of gonads also confirmed earlier sexual development in the LG than in the HG line. In both lines, the growth of testes was detected about one week earlier than the growth of ovary. 4. Despite the different age and BW at onset of lay, HG and LG quail commenced lay at the same degree of maturity (about 90% of adult BW). This implied that the onset of sexual maturity could be identified as a point on the growth curve which terminates the linear phase. 5. When compared with the LG line, the HG line was characterised by a longer acceleration and shorter retardation phase of the growth curve. This difference is seen as an important determinant of line differences in growth and reproductive performance.

• MeSH
• chov MeSH
• Coturnix genetika   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• hmotnostní přírůstek genetika   MeSH
• kladení vajíček genetika   fyziologie   MeSH
• ovarium růst a vývoj   MeSH
• pohlavní dospělost genetika   fyziologie   MeSH
• selekce (genetika) MeSH
• stárnutí MeSH
• velikost orgánu genetika   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH