Alteration(s) in follicle number |
Decreased numbers of primordial follicles in 7–9 month-old mice |
Decreased numbers of growing follicles in 25 day-old and 9 week-old mice |
Alteration(s) in fecundity |
Not evaluated |
Increased age at first litter, decreased number of pups per litter |
Alteration(s) in hormone production |
Not evaluated |
Hormone |
8–10 weeks |
15–22 weeks |
Estradiol |
↑* |
** |
FSH |
↑* |
↑* |
LH |
↓ n.s. |
↓ n.s. |
*P < 0.05, **not evaluated |
Follicle death |
Increased histomorphometric evidence of follicle atresia in PM ovaries; increased ubiquitylated proteins in PM oocytes. |
Increased numbers of TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells in PM ovaries |
Alterations in follicle growth |
Granulosa cell number is decreased in growing follicles. Cumulus granulosa cell number is also decreased in mature follicles. |
mTOR pathway is downregulated in whole ovaries (McLaughlin et al., 2011; Yu et al., 2011) |
Alterations in gene expression |
Reduced expression of FMRP in PM granulosa cells. Redistribution of FMRP to oocyte nucleus in PM (FMRP is cytoplasmic in wild-type oocytes). Reduced CX36 expression. |
Decreased expression of LH-induced ovulation-related genes in PM ovaries versus wild-type controls. |
Other abnormalities |
Presence of ovarian cysts; zona pellucida abnormalities. |
Reduced whole body weight in PM animals versus wild-type controls. |