Abstract
Cell death was first described in rabbit ovaries (Graaffian follicles), the phenomenon being called 'chromatolysis' rather than apoptosis. In humans, the ovarian endowment of primordial follicles is established during fetal life. Apoptotic cell death depletes this endowment by at least two-thirds before birth, executed with the help of several players and pathways conserved from worms to humans. To date, apoptosis has been reported to be involved in oogenesis, folliculogenesis, oocyte loss/selection and atresia. Several pro-survival and pro-apoptotic molecules are involved in ovarian apoptosis with the delicate balance between them being the determinant for the final destiny of the follicular cells. This review critically analyses the current knowledge about the biological roles of these molecules and their relevance to the dynamics of follicle development. It also presents the existing literature and assesses the gaps in our knowledge.
MeSH terms
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Activins / metabolism
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Animals
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Apoptosis / genetics
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Apoptosis / physiology*
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Apoptotic Protease-Activating Factor 1
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Caspases / genetics
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Caspases / metabolism
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Endothelins / metabolism
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Female
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Follicular Atresia / physiology
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Humans
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Inhibins / metabolism
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Integrins / metabolism
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Interferons / metabolism
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Mitochondria / genetics
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Mitochondria / metabolism
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Ovarian Follicle / embryology
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Ovarian Follicle / growth & development
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Ovary / cytology*
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Ovary / embryology
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Ovary / physiology
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Pregnancy
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Proteins / metabolism
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / genetics
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / metabolism
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Transforming Growth Factor beta / metabolism
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Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism
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Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism
Substances
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APAF1 protein, human
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Apoptotic Protease-Activating Factor 1
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Endothelins
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Integrins
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Proteins
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
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Transforming Growth Factor beta
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Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
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Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
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inhibin A
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Activins
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Inhibins
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Interferons
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Caspases