Identification and functional analysis of novel ovarian factors involved in female fertility

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K15009
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 42040:Laboratory animal science-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Emori Chihiro 大阪大学, 微生物病研究所, 助教 (10868136)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 卵巣 / 卵母細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Female infertility is caused by various factors, such as hormonal imbalance or poor quality of oocytes. This study aimed to identify novel factors involved in female fertility and to elucidate their functions by focusing on the quality of the oocytes and the ovarian environment.
We have generated six knockout (KO) mice strain individually and checked their fertility. 4 KO mouse strains showed normal fertility and their ovarian morphology and number of ovulated eggs in these mice were comparable compared to wild-type mice. 2 KO mouse strains showed infertility. They showed no major abnormalities in morphological observation by ovarian sectioning. In the result of in vitro fertilization, they could not be fertilized or their subsequent embryo development was affected. This study identified a novel ovarian factor involved in fertilization and embryo development.

Free Research Field

生殖生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

不妊に関連する遺伝子の探索は国内外で盛んに行われているが詳細な解析がなされていないものも多い。本研究では卵巣で高発現する6遺伝子の遺伝子欠損マウスを作製し、その妊孕性の解析を行った。新たに不妊にかかわる遺伝子を同定できたことで、生殖分野の基礎研究だけでなく、不妊治療の臨床分野にも貢献が期待できる。また妊孕性に顕著な影響が見られなかった遺伝子についても、新規の知見として今後の生殖分野への貢献が期待できる。