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Apoptosis and ovarian function

¹Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston 02114, USA.

Reviews of Reproduction

|September 1, 1996

Summary

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Apoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death·2004

Ovarian germ cell depletion and follicular atresia are linked to physiological cell death mechanisms. This review explores the gene-directed cellular suicide pathways controlling ovarian cell populations.

Area of Science:

Reproductive Biology
Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Mechanisms of ovarian germ cell depletion and follicular atresia were poorly understood.
Ovarian cell degeneration, including luteolysis, was not clearly linked to cell death pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the mechanisms of ovarian germ cell depletion and follicular atresia.
To explore the role of physiological cell death in ovarian function.
To hypothesize a universal pathway for controlled ovarian cell deletion.

Main Methods:

Application of sensitive biochemical techniques to study cell death in ovarian function.
Review of existing literature on ovarian cell degeneration and gene expression.

Main Results:

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Germ cell depletion, follicular atresia, and luteolysis are dependent on physiological cell death mechanisms.
A conserved cohort of genes is likely involved in a universal pathway of cellular suicide in the ovary.

Conclusions:

Controlled deletion of ovarian cell populations occurs via gene-directed cell death.
Understanding these pathways has significant biological and clinical implications for ovarian function and development.