TY - JOUR
T1 - Polarized ovaries of the long-tongued bat, Glossophaga soricina
T2 - A novel model for studying ovarian development, folliculogenesis, and ovulation
AU - Komar, Carolyn M.
AU - Zacharachis-Jutz, Frances
AU - Cretekos, Chris J.
AU - Behringer, Richard R.
AU - Rasweiler IV, John J.
PY - 2007/11
Y1 - 2007/11
N2 - Glossophaga soricina is a spontaneously ovulating, monovular, polyestrous bat with a simplex uterus, exhibiting true menstruation. Studies conducted on reproductively active, captive-maintained animals established that G. soricina also has polarized ovaries, with the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) restricted to the medial side of the ovary, and primordial follicles limited to an immediately adjacent zone. Follicles selected for further development are recruited from the medullary side of this zone, and ovulation is restricted to the portion of the ovary covered by the OSE. To further develop G. soricina as a model for studying ovarian development and physiology, ovaries were collected from fetal, neonatal, and adult females and processed for morphological and immunohistochemical analyses. The latter included staining for factor VIII-related antigen (von Willebrand factor) to assess regional differences in ovarian vascularity. The ovarian structure in fetal and neonatal animals was very similar to that in other species that do not have polarized ovaries at comparable stages of development. This indicated that polarization of the ovary does not occur during fetal development, but rather sometime between the neonatal period and adulthood. Vascular elements were abundant in areas of the ovary surrounding early growing follicles, but sparse in the zone of the ovary containing primordial follicles. The polarized nature of the ovaries in G. soricina suggests that this species might be used as a model to investigate the formation, long-term maintenance, and activation of primordial follicles, and the role of the OSE in ovulation and folliculogenesis.
AB - Glossophaga soricina is a spontaneously ovulating, monovular, polyestrous bat with a simplex uterus, exhibiting true menstruation. Studies conducted on reproductively active, captive-maintained animals established that G. soricina also has polarized ovaries, with the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) restricted to the medial side of the ovary, and primordial follicles limited to an immediately adjacent zone. Follicles selected for further development are recruited from the medullary side of this zone, and ovulation is restricted to the portion of the ovary covered by the OSE. To further develop G. soricina as a model for studying ovarian development and physiology, ovaries were collected from fetal, neonatal, and adult females and processed for morphological and immunohistochemical analyses. The latter included staining for factor VIII-related antigen (von Willebrand factor) to assess regional differences in ovarian vascularity. The ovarian structure in fetal and neonatal animals was very similar to that in other species that do not have polarized ovaries at comparable stages of development. This indicated that polarization of the ovary does not occur during fetal development, but rather sometime between the neonatal period and adulthood. Vascular elements were abundant in areas of the ovary surrounding early growing follicles, but sparse in the zone of the ovary containing primordial follicles. The polarized nature of the ovaries in G. soricina suggests that this species might be used as a model to investigate the formation, long-term maintenance, and activation of primordial follicles, and the role of the OSE in ovulation and folliculogenesis.
KW - Folliculogenesis
KW - Ovarian development
KW - Ovarian surface epithelium
KW - Ovary
KW - Ovulation
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U2 - 10.1002/ar.20602
DO - 10.1002/ar.20602
M3 - Article
C2 - 17929278
AN - SCOPUS:35948968027
SN - 1932-8486
VL - 290
SP - 1439
EP - 1448
JO - Anatomical Record
JF - Anatomical Record
IS - 11
ER -