title: Culture and co-culture of mouse ovaries and ovarian follicles.
abstract: The mammalian ovary is composed of ovarian follicles, each follicle consisting of a single oocyte surrounded by somatic granulosa cells, enclosed together within a basement membrane. A finite pool of follicles is laid down during embryonic development, when oocytes in meiotic arrest form a close association with flattened granulosa cells, forming primordial follicles. By or shortly after birth, mammalian ovaries contain their lifetime's supply of primordial follicles, from which point onwards there is a steady release of follicles into the growing follicular pool. The ovary is particularly amenable to development in vitro, with follicles growing in a highly physiological manner in culture. This work describes the culture of whole neonatal ovaries containing primordial follicles, and the culture of individual ovarian follicles, a method which can support the development of follicles from an immature through to the preovulatory stage, after which their oocytes are able to undergo fertilization in vitro. The work outlined here uses culture systems to determine how the ovary is affected by exposure to external compounds. We also describe a co-culture system, which allows investigation of the interactions that occur between growing follicles and the non-growing pool of primordial follicles.
authors: Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh.
authors: Stephanie
authors: S
authors: Morgan
authors: Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh.
authors: Lisa
authors: L
authors: Campbell
authors: Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh.
authors: Vivian
authors: V
authors: Allison
authors: MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh.
authors: Alison
authors: A
authors: Murray
authors: Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh; norah.spears@ed.ac.uk.
authors: Norah
authors: N
authors: Spears
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D005260:Female; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000166:cytology*; D010053:Ovary / Q000166:cytology*