Determining the role of nerve growth factor-beta in seminal plasma on bovine reproduction
type: CreativeWork
description: Nerve growth factor-β (NGF) is a protein found in the seminal plasma of a variety of mammalian species. While initially known for regulating neuronal survival and differentiation, it was later discovered to interact within the endocrine and reproductive systems as well. Most notable is its function in camelids as an ovulation inducing agent with a dose-dependent luteotrophic effect. While also present in the seminal plasma of spontaneously ovulating species, such as the bull, the role of NGF was initially thought to be limited to regulating sperm physiology. However, upon discovering its effect on ovulation induction in camelids, the potential functions of NGF within the female reproductive system of other species came to light. The luteotrophic effect of NGF is of much interest to the cattle industry where sustainability relies on reproductive success. While many cow studies have investigated factors such as nutrition and estrous cycle manipulation, there appears to still be a bottleneck in improving reproductive efficiency due to early embryonic losses. The majority of conception failure in cattle is thought to occur prior to maternal recognition of pregnancy as a result of luteal insufficiency. When corpus luteum formation and progesterone production are inadequate following fertilization, the conceptus will fail to produce the threshold level of interferon tau needed to stimulate maternal recognition of pregnancy. As a result, luteolysis and embryonic loss will occur. There is, therefore, a need to uncover novel techniques that will minimize these potential losses in cattle. Increasing evidence is available to suggest that seminal plasma proteins play an important role in regulating female fertility, such as the luteotrophic effect of NGF. However, with the rapid expansion of artificial insemination use in the cattle industry, these physiological mechanisms may become lost. Frozen semen used in artificial insemination is extended to achieve the lowest effective …
abstract: Nerve growth factor-β (NGF) is a protein found in the seminal plasma of a variety of mammalian species. While initially known for regulating neuronal survival and differentiation, it was later discovered to interact within the endocrine and reproductive systems as well. Most notable is its function in camelids as an ovulation inducing agent with a dose-dependent luteotrophic effect. While also present in the seminal plasma of spontaneously ovulating species, such as the bull, the role of NGF was initially thought to be limited to regulating sperm physiology. However, upon discovering its effect on ovulation induction in camelids, the potential functions of NGF within the female reproductive system of other species came to light. The luteotrophic effect of NGF is of much interest to the cattle industry where sustainability relies on reproductive success. While many cow studies have investigated factors such as nutrition and estrous cycle manipulation, there appears to still be a bottleneck in improving reproductive efficiency due to early embryonic losses. The majority of conception failure in cattle is thought to occur prior to maternal recognition of pregnancy as a result of luteal insufficiency. When corpus luteum formation and progesterone production are inadequate following fertilization, the conceptus will fail to produce the threshold level of interferon tau needed to stimulate maternal recognition of pregnancy. As a result, luteolysis and embryonic loss will occur. There is, therefore, a need to uncover novel techniques that will minimize these potential losses in cattle. Increasing evidence is available to suggest that seminal plasma proteins play an important role in regulating female fertility, such as the luteotrophic effect of NGF. However, with the rapid expansion of artificial insemination use in the cattle industry, these physiological mechanisms may become lost. Frozen semen used in artificial insemination is extended to achieve the lowest effective …
author: Stewart, Jamie L.
language: en
keywords: seminal plasma, Bovine, luteotrophic, Nerve growth factor-beta, reproduction
date published: 2019-08-23T20:29:26Z
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:24:44Z
provider: University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/2142/104971