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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 #411427
Research Project: Applying Nutritional Strategies to Improve Early Embryonic Development and Progeny Performance in Beef Cows

Location: Livestock Bio-Systems

Title: Developmental programming of the ovarian reserve in livestock

Author
item Cushman, Robert - Bob
item AKBARINEJAD, VAHID - University Of Tehran
item PERRY, GEORGE - Texas A&M Agrilife
item Lents, Clay

Submitted to: Animal Reproduction Science
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/18/2024
Publication Date: 3/19/2024
Citation: Cushman, R.A., Akbarinejad, V., Perry, G.A., Lents, C.A. 2024. Developmental programming of the ovarian reserve in livestock. Animal Reproduction Science. 264. Article 107458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2024.107458.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2024.107458

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Mammalian females are born with a finite number of follicles in their ovaries that is referred to as the ovarian reserve. There is a large amount of variation between females in the number of antral follicles that they are born with, but this number is positively correlated to size of the ovarian reserve, has a strong repeatability within a female, and a moderate heritability. Although the heritability is moderate, numerous external factors including health, nutrition, ambient temperature, and litter size influence the size and function of the ovarian reserve throughout life. Depletion of the ovarian reserve contributes to reproductive senescence, and genetic and epigenetic factors can lead to a more rapid decline in follicle numbers in some females than others. The relationship of the size of the ovarian reserve to development of the reproductive tract and fertility is generally positive, although some studies report antagonistic associations of these traits. It seems likely that management decisions and environmental factors that result in epigenetic modifications to the genome throughout life may cause variability in the function of ovarian genes that influence fecundity and fertility, leading to differences in reproductive longevity among females born with ovarian reserves of similar size. This review summarizes our current understanding of factors influencing size of the ovarian reserve in cattle, sheep, and pigs and the relationship of the ovarian reserve to reproductive tract development and fertility. It provides strategies to apply this knowledge to improve diagnostics for better assessment of fertility and reproductive longevity in female livestock.