The human egg - the rarest and most rapidly aging cell in the body - is a topic of intense scientific study. Assisted reproduction clinics are constantly vying to improve success rates - choosing the best gametes is a key step in this process. This new edition of what one reviewer of the first edition described as 'possibly the definitive work on the oocyte' covers the development, biology and pathology of the oocyte, and technologies to manipulate, enhance and control fertility. These technologies are used to overcome infertility, avoid inherited diseases, and create genetically engineered embryos from stem cells and cloning. This progress would have been impossible without the myriad of scientific and technical developments covered in this book. The new edition is thoroughly updated and includes major new research on reprogramming, oocyte molecular development, cryopreservation and viability. We are in exciting times for the egg.

Table of Contents

Preface
Part I. Historical Perspective:
1. Insights into the amphibian egg to understand the mammalian oocyte Kei Miyamoto and John B. Gurdon
Part II. Life Cycle:
2. Otogeny of the mammalian oocyte Anne Grete Byskov and Majken Nielsen
3. Gene networks in oocyte meiosis Paula Cohen and Swapna Mohan
4. Follicle formation and oocyte death Melissa E. Pepling
5. The early stages of follicular growth Alain Gougeon
6. Follicle and oocyte developmental dynamics Aaron J. W. Hsueh and Kazuhiro Kawamura
7. Mouse models to identify genes throughout oogenesis Jia Peng, Qinglei Li and Martin M. Matzuk
Part III. Developmental Biology:
8. Structural basis for oocyte-granulosa cell interactions Ursula Eichenlaub-Ritter and Carlos Plancha
9. Differential gene expression mediated by oocyte/granulosa cell communication Saiichi Furukawa and Koji Sugiura
10. Hormones and growth factors in the regulation of oocyte maturation Marco Conti
11. Getting into and out of oocyte maturation Hayden Homer
12. Chromosome behavior and spindle formation in mammalian oocytes Heide Schatten and Qing-Yuan Sun
13. Transcription, accumulation, storage, recruitment, and degradation of maternal mRNA in mammalian oocytes Santhi Potireddy, Dasari Amarnath and Keith E. Latham
14. Setting the stage for fertilization: transcriptome and maternal factors Scott Coonrod
15. Egg activation: initiation and decoding of Ca2+ signalling John Carroll and Karl Swann
16. In vitro growth and differentiation of oocytes Hang Yin and Roger Gosden
17. Metabolism of the follicle and oocyte in vivo and in vitro Helen M. Picton and Karen E. Hemmings
18. Improving oocyte maturation in vitro Jeremy G. Thompson and Robert B. Gilchrist
Part IV. Imprinting and Reprogramming:
19. Human genes modulating primordial germ-cell and haploid gamete formation Valerie L. Baker, Ruth Lathi and Renee A. Reijo Pera
20. In vitro differentiation of germ cells from stem cells Fumihiro Sugawa, Karin Hübner and Hans R. Schöler
21. Parthenogenesis and parthenogenetic stem cells Tiziana A. L. Brevini and Fulvio Gandolfi
22. Epigenetic consequences of stomatic cell nuclear transfer and induced pluripotent stem cell reprogramming Jose Cibelli, Victoria L. Mascetti and Roger A. Pedersen
23. Primate and human somatic cell nuclear transfer Rita P. Cervera and Shoukhrat Mitalipov
Part V. Pathology:
24. Gene expression in human oocytes Gayle M. Jones and David S. Cram
25. Omics as tools for oocyte selection Marc-André Sirard and Isabelle Gilbert
26. The legacy of mitocondrial DNA Helen A. L. Tuppen, Mary Herbert and Doug M. Turnbull
27. Relative contribution of advanced age and reduced follicle pool size on reproductive success: the quantity-quality enigma Frank Broekmans and Madeleine Dólleman
28. Cellular origin of age-related aneuploidy in mammalian oocytes Ursula Eichenlaub-Ritter and Roger Gosden
29. Alterations in the gene expression of aneuploid oocytes and associated cumulus cells Dagan Wells
30. Transgenerational risks by exposure in utero Miguel A. Velazquez and Tom P. Fleming
31. Obesity and oocyte quality Rebecca L. Robker and Robert J. Norman
32. Safety of ovarian stimulation Dominic Stoop, Ellen Anckaert and Johan Smitz
33. Oocyte epigenetics and the risks for imprinting disorders associated with assisted reproduction Serge McGraw and Jacquetta Trasler
34. Genetic basis for primary ovarian insufficiency Luca Persani, Stephanie Sherman and Lawrence Nelson
Part VI. Technology and Clinical Medicine:
35. Polar body screening for aneuploidy in human oocytes Luca Gianaroli, M. Christina Magli and Anna P. Ferraretti
36. Cytopreservation of oocytes Alan Trounson and Laura Rienzi
37. Transplantation of ovarian tissue or immature oocytes to preserve and restore fertility in humans Sherman Silber, Natalie Barbey and David Silber
Index