Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

*Demonstrated a role for estrogen during primordial follicle establishment and how endocrine disrupting chemicals can have a negative impact on this process. *Identified a novel gene in the bovine fetal ovary that is a zinc finger protein. *Demonstrated that VEGFA isoform expression in granulosa cells, the ratio of E2/A4 in the follicular fluid, and oocyte mRNA abundance are altered in cows with reduced fertility. *Characterized the cellular expression of FGF2, VEGFA, VEGFR1, VEGFR2, and CYR61 in ovarian granulosa and theca during the ovulatory response *Determined a role for Fas ligand-induced apoptosis and identified a relationship between CK8/18 filaments, cFLIP, and ERK1/2 in granulosa cells *Identified a SNP in the growth hormone receptor associated with dairy cow fertility *Demonstrated that AMPK is involved in the response to activation of the prostaglandin F receptor in corpora lutea *Demonstrated a novel mechanism for protein secretion by luteal cells which are responsible for stimulation of T cells. One of the differentially secreted proteins in PGF-exposed luteal cells is alpha 2-macroglobulin which may mediate luteal cell-T cell interactions. *Showed that steroidogenic luteal cells express ALCAM, which may interact with receptors on T cells to activate T cell signaling pathways. *Demonstrated that luteal cells from regressing CL stimulate multiple types of T cells, whereas luteal cells from fully functional CL preferentially stimulate anti-inflammatory gamma-delta positive T cells. *Demonstrated that miRNA 126 is upregulated in Day 10 compared to Day 4 CL and is localized in luteal endothelial cells. VCAM-1 appears to be a target of miR126 in luteal endothelial cells, suggesting that this microRNA may be involved in regulating angiogenesis during luteal development. *Showed that the combined use of CIDR and PG600 does not increase pregnancy rates in ewes.

Abstracts Tripurani, S.K., Wang, L., Lee, K.B., Gabbine, W., Smith, G.W. and Yao, J. The SUMO-conjugating enzyme Ubc9 is developmentally regulated and interacts with activating transcription factor 7 interacting protein 2 (ATF7IP2) in cattle. 44th Annual Meeting Society for the Study of Reproduction, Portland, Oregon. July 31 - August 4, 2011. Tripurani, S.K., Lee, K.B., Smith, G.W. and Yao, J. Cloning and expression of bovine factor in the germline alpha (FIGLA) in oocytes and early embryos: a potential target of microRNA-212. 37th Annual Conference of the International Embryo Transfer Society, Orlando, Florida. January 8-11, 2011. Walusimbi, SS and Pate, JL. 2011. Luteal cells establish contact with T lymphocytes via the T cell receptor and induce deletion of gamma-delta T cells with a proinflammatory phenotype. SSR Abstract #76 Brzezicka, E. and Pate, J.L. 2011. Luteal cells induce gamma delta T cell activation through secretory factors. SSR Abstract #222 Maalouf, SW, Smith, CL and Pate, JL. 2011. MicroRNA in the development of the corpus luteum. SSR Abstract #228 Toyokawa, K, Liu, W and Pate, JL. 2011. Expression and regulation of PRAME in the bovine corpus luteum. SSR Abstract #221 Summers A, Cushman R, Smith JE, Lammers B, McFee R, Pohlmeier W, Brauer V, Sargent K, Lu N, Cupp AS, Wood JR (2011) Females with reduced fertility have excess androstenedione in follicular fluid, altered theca gene expression and increased VEGFA164b, maternal effect, and microRNA processing mRNA levels in cumulus-oocyte complexes, Society for the Study of Reproduction 43rd Annual Meeting, Portland, OR Wood JR, Yang Z, and Smith JE (2011) Genes involved in the immediate early response and epithelial mesenchymal transition are regulated by adipocytokines in the female reproductive tract, Society for the Study of Reproduction 43rd Annual Meeting, Portland, OR Schneider, A., L. F. M. Pfeifer, M. N. Corrêa, and W. R. Butler. Difference in the expression of components of the GHR/IGF-I axis in follicular granulosa cells and corpus luteum in cows. J.Dairy Sci. 94(E-Suppl.1):595, 2011. (Abstract) Esposito, G. and W. R. Butler. Effect of dietary conjugated linoleic acid on reproduction and tissue responses in dairy cows. J Dairy Sci. 94(E-Suppl.1):341, 2011. (Abstract) Peer-Reviewed Tripurani, S.K., Lee, K.B., Wee, G., Smith, G.W.. and Yao, J. 2011. MicroRNA-196a regulates bovine newborn ovary homeobox gene (NOBOX) expression during early embryogenesis. BMC Developmental Biology 11:25. doi:10.1186/1471-213X-11-25. Tripurani, S.K., Lee, K.B., Wang, L.,Wee, G., Smith, G.W., Lee, Y.S., Latham, K.E. and Yao, J. 2011. A Novel Functional Role for the Oocyte-Specific Transcription Factor Newborn Ovary Homeobox (NOBOX) during Early Embryonic Development in Cattle. Endocrinology. 152:1013-1023. Inskeep, E.K. 2011. Ruminant reproduction: recent findings and future challenges, a summary. In: Reproduction in Domestic Ruminants VII. M.F. Smith, M. Lucy and T. Spencer, Eds. 12 pp. Tian X and Diaz FJ. Zinc depletion causes multiple defects in ovarian function during the periovulatory period. Endocrinology: (2012) 153:873-886. Pickworth, CL, Poole, DH, Velleman, SG, Pate, JL, Loerch, SC, Fluharty, F L 2011. Adipogenic differentiation state-specific gene expression as related to bovine carcass adiposity. J Anim Sci. 89:355-366. Poole, DH and Pate, JL. 2012. Luteal microenvironment directs resident T lymphocyte function. Biol. Reprod. 86(2)29:1-10. Pate, JL. 2012. Commentary: It takes two to tango but four for the finale. Biol. Reprod. Doi:10.1095/biolreprod 112.099150. Pate, JL. Johnson-Larson, C.J., Ottobre, J.S. Life or Death decisions in the corpus luteum. Reprod. Domest. Anim. (in press) *Zhang B, *Tsang PCW, Pate JL, Moses MA 2011. A role for cysteine-rich 61 in the angiogenic switch during the estrous cycle in cows: Regulation by prostaglandin F 2alpha. Biology of Reproduction 85:261-268 *These authors contributed equally to this work. Townson DH, Combelles CMH 2012 Ovarian Follicular Atresia. In: Basic Gynecology  Some Related Issues, In Tech Publishing, Atef Darwish (Ed), Rijeka, Croatia. pp. 43-76. ISBN 978-953-51-0166-6. McCracken JA, Custer EE, Schreiber DT, Tsang PCW, Keator CS, Arosh JA 2012. A new in vivo model for luteolysis using systemic pulsatile infusions of PGF2±. Prostaglandins and Other Lipid Mediators 97:90-96. Yang Z, Norwood KA, Kerl JG, and Wood JR (2012) Genes Involved in the Immediate Early Response and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition are Regulated by Adipocytokines in the Female Reproductive Tract, Mol Reprod Dev 79(2): 128-137 PMID: 22128093 Mack EM, Smith JE, and Wood JR (2012) IGF1 has an Additive Effect on cAMP-Dependent Regulation of Granulosa Cell Ovulatory Response Genes through Activation of Akt- and Erk1/2 Signaling, Reproduction (submitted 6/2012) Extension Bulletins Lu N*, Smith JE*, Brauer V, Summers A, Pohlmeier W, Beavers KA, McFee R, Sargent K, Kerl JG, Cushman RA, Cupp AS, Wood JR (2012) Oocyte mRNA and Follicle Androgen Levels are Associated with Fertility, Nebraska 2012 Beef Cattle Report, p.28 *authors contributed equally to the manuscript Theses/Dissertations Current Funding USDA Proposal number: 2009-01853 - Jorge Flores Proposal Title: Regulation of Corpus Luteum Lifespan: Developmental Differences in Signal Transduction Mechanisms Associated with the Luteal PGF2alpha Receptor, Total Direct and indirect costs: $338,416. USDA Proposal number: 2009-01853 - Jianbo Yao Proposal Title: Functional Characterization of Bovine Importin ±8, A New Member of the Importin ± Family Specifically Expressed in Oocytes and Early Embryos, Total Direct and indirect costs: $347,000. WV -140 Out-of-Season Breeding in Sheep, West Virginia State Legislature - E. K. Inskeep, P. E. Lewis, Marlon Knights, Direct Costs: $86,000 per year Increasing Adoption of Out-of-Season Breeding to Enhance Profitability of Sheep Producers in West Virginia GNE11-015, USDA/SARE GRAD/ EXT/COM Award Knights, M & D'Souza, K, 8/1/2011- 7/30/2012 $14,999.00 In-Kind Donation (2012) - 1250 CIDR-G Inserts (Retail Value $5.00 each) - Pfizer Animal Health - E. K. Inskeep and M. Knights $6,250.00 National Research Initiative Competitive Grant no. 2008-35203-04617 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture to JL Pate NRICGP/USDA Grant #2007-35203-18074,"Role of Cytokeratin 8/18 Filaments in Fas Ligand-Induced Apoptosis of Ovarian Steroidogenic Cells". D. Townson USDA (NRICGP, #2008-35203-05989); 9/30/09-8/31/012; PI - 15% effort, "Effects of Fetal Steroids on the Formation of Ovarian Follicles and on their Competence to Initiate Growth", JE Fortune NIH (R21 HD0602322); 07/01/09- 06/30/13; PI  20% effort, "Effects of Fetal Steroids on the Formation of Bovine Ovarian Follicles and on their Competence to Initiate Growth", JE Fortune