Mouse Ovary Transplantation

Ovary transplantation is a useful technique when there is a valuable female mouse (e.g., transgenic, unique allele) that is ill, not breeding, or cannot breed naturally. The ovaries from the valuable female are transplanted into a histocompatible wild-type female recipient whose ovaries have been surgically removed. The donor ovaries can then function in the wild-type recipient to generate oocytes that will be ovulated and can be fertilized after natural matings. The donor ovaries can be cut into smaller pieces and each piece can be transplanted into separate females. Newborn ovaries or cryorecovered ovaries can also be transplanted. The removal of the recipient ovary leaves the surrounding bursal membrane intact, providing a convenient sac to insert and hold the donor ovary or ovarian fragments.