ROLE OF IMMUNE CELLS IN THE ESTABLISHMENT AND ACTIVATION OF THE OVARIAN RESERVE

Reproductive problems remain the number one reason for involuntary culling on dairy farms, creating increased economc costs on farms and increased environmental impacts of dairy farming. The total number of eggs in the ovary is established before birth and is nonrenewing. The goal of this project is to generate an improved understanding of the ovarian developmental events that impactfertility over the lifespan. The global hypothesis is that the immune system interacts with the developing ovary to direct the total number and quality of eggs in the ovary at birth and thus the lifetime fertility potential of the ovary.Aim 1 is to investigate how the immune system regulates the death or survival of eggs in the developing ovary. Aim 2 is to investigate how the immune system regulates when eggs and their supporting cells begin to grow. This project will lead to an improved understanding of how the ovary develops and how this impacts long-term fertility. A role for immune cells in early ovarian developmental events suggests a link between ovarian development and whole-body health-- perhaps cows that experienced disease as young calves or were gestated by dams that experienced disease during pregnancy will have reduced ovarian reserve as compared to healthy calves or those from healthy dams.The long-term goal of this project is to improve understanding of ovarian development in cattle, to improve reproductive efficiency. Ultimately, the knowledge generated by this project will be applied to improve reproductive management on dairies, making dairy farming more sustainable and dairy products more economical.