Presenter: Hadley Ashton
Authors: Hadley Ashton, Zoe Thompson
Faculty Advisor: Zoe Thompson
Institution: Utah Valley University
Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) is a gene expressed within the hypothalamus and the pituitary. It is primarily known for regulation of feeding behaviors, but also has various effects on hormone production and melanin synthesis. At least some human subjects with a mutation in this gene are infertile. Globally, approximately 15% of couples have difficulty conceiving, leading to our interest in studying this aspect of POMC mutations. Like humans with a POMC mutation, mice with this mutation exhibit extreme early-onset obesity and hyperphagia as well as infertility. In this study we are endeavoring to determine the cause of infertility in mice lacking POMC. We will first look at ovary samples that have been sliced and stained with hematoxylin and eosin, then fixed to a slide and reviewed under a microscope to determine the amount and condition of follicles and corpora lutea. When the ovaries function properly, a follicle, which contains the egg, will transition from primary to secondary and finally a mature vesicular follicle before rupturing and releasing the egg. This follicle then turns into a corpus luteum, producing progesterone and estrogen to increase chances of fertilization. If no fertilization occurs, the corpus luteum involutes into a corpus albicans. If there are abnormalities in the ovaries, we might expect to see reduced numbers of corpora lutea, reduced or degenerative follicles earlier in the lifespan, or an unusual ratio between the two. If abnormalities are not found at this stage, we will then track the estrus cycles and blood hormone levels of live mice. Results from this study will help us understand more about what might be causing infertility in POMC-deficient mice, which may also help us understand how to treat humans with infertility due to POMC-deficiency.