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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Livestock Bio-Systems » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #382724
Research Project: Improving Livestock Production by Developing Reproductive and Precision Management Technologies

Location: Livestock Bio-Systems

Title: The ovarian follicle of ruminants: the path from conceptus to adult

Author
item JUENGEL, JENNIFER - Agresearch
item Cushman, Robert - Bob
item DUPONT, JOELLE - National Research Institute For Agriculture, Food And Environment
item FABRE, STEPHANE - National Research Institute For Agriculture, Food And Environment
item LEA, RICHARD - University Of Nottingham
item MARTIN, GRAEME - University Of Western Australia
item MOSSA, FRANCESCA - Dipartimento Di Medicina
item PITMAN, JANET - Victoria University Of Wellington
item PRICE, CHRISTOPHER - University Of Montreal
item SMITH, PETER - Agresearch

Submitted to: Reproduction, Fertility and Development
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/6/2021
Publication Date: 7/2/2021
Citation: Juengel, J.L., Cushman, R.A., Dupont, J., Fabre, S., Lea, R.G., Martin, G.B., Mossa, F., Pitman, J.L., Price, C.A., Smith, P. 2021. The ovarian follicle of ruminants: the path from conceptus to adult. Reproduction, Fertility and Development. Article RD21086. https://doi.org/10.1071/RD21086.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/RD21086

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: This review resulted from an international workshop and presents a consensus view of critical advances over the past decade in our understanding of follicle function in ruminants. The major concepts covered include: (1) the value of major genes; (2) the dynamics of fetal ovarian development and its sensitivity to nutritional and environmental influences; (3) the concept of an ovarian follicle reserve, aligned with the rise of anti-Müllerian hormone as a controller of ovarian processes; (4) renewed recognition of the diverse and important roles of theca cells; (5) the importance of follicular fluid as a microenvironment that determines oocyte quality; (6) the ‘adipokinome’ as a key concept linking metabolic inputs with follicle development; and (7) the contribution of follicle development to the success of conception. These concepts are important because, in sheep and cattle, ovulation rate is tightly regulated and, as the primary determinant of litter size, it is a major component of reproductive efficiency and therefore productivity. Nowadays, reproductive efficiency is also a target for improving the ‘methane efficiency’ of livestock enterprises, increasing the need to understand the processes of ovarian development and folliculogenesis, while avoiding detrimental trade-offs as greater performance is sought.