Project 171317

The most common cause of infertility in women is impaired ovulation, and although few genetic causes of infertility are known, a genetic basis for infertility is suspected. Genes associated with the production of a healthy egg are likely candidates for female infertility because many carefully-timed signals from both the brain and the ovary are required for the production of a healthy egg. Although it is well known that estrogen is produced by a woman's ovary, it is less well known that the ovary itself requires estrogen for proper function. Estrogen is required by the ovary for the production and release of a healthy fertilizable egg, and in mice, lack of estrogen results in reduced fertility. Our goal is to understand the role of estrogen within the ovary, and the mechanisms by which estrogen regulates ovarian function. To pursue this goal, we study mice that are unable to respond to estrogen because they lack a specific protein, Estrogen Receptor Beta, which is expressed in the ovary more than anywhere else in the body. These mice are less fertile because they do not ovulate well: eggs cannot be released, or ovulated, but are "stuck" within the ovary. By studying these infertile mice, we can better understand why estrogen is required for ovulation. Understanding the role of estrogen in ovulation may provide genetic clues to the basis of some cases of infertility in women.

using mice lacking Estrogen Receptor Beta to study the role of estrogen in ovarian function and ovulation