Fertility Barriers Research Articles

Confidence in Pregnancy Among U.S. Women

Researchers often ask women about pregnancy intentions but seldom ask how confident women are that they will be able to become pregnant when they desire. We argue that beliefs about fertility and infertility may function as justifications for behaviors to which one is already committed. Thus, women who have delayed childbearing but who intend to become pregnant may express confidence in their ability to become pregnant, even in the face of diminished odds of conception. Using data from the National Survey of Fertility Barriers, we demonstrate that over 75 percent of women who intend a first or subsequent pregnancy express confidence that they will be able to become pregnant when they wish, even if they perceive themselves as having a fertility problem or meet medical criteria for infertility. Our results are consistent with the motivated reasoning perspective. Our findings suggest that confidence in pregnancy may be a response to social‐structural pressures to delay childbearing among women who intend to become pregnant, but not necessarily the reason for delay.

ORIGIN OF RECOGNITION COMPLEX 3 controls the development of maternal excess endosperm in the Paspalum simplex agamic complex (Poaceae).

Pseudogamous apomixis in Paspalum simplex generates seeds with embryos genetically identical to the mother plant and endosperms deviating from the canonical 2(maternal):1(paternal) parental genome contribution into a maternal excess 4m:1p genome ratio. In P. simplex, the gene homologous to that coding for subunit 3 of the ORIGIN OF RECOGNITION COMPLEX (PsORC3) exists in three isogenic forms: PsORC3a is apomixis specific and constitutively expressed in developing endosperm whereas PsORCb and PsORCc are up-regulated in sexual endosperms and silenced in apomictic ones. This raises the question of how the different arrangement and expression profiles of these three ORC3 isogenes are linked to seed development in interploidy crosses generating maternal excess endosperms. We demonstrate that down-regulation of PsORC3b in sexual tetraploid plants is sufficient to restore seed fertility in interploidy 4n×2n crosses and, in turn, its expression level at the transition from proliferating to endoreduplication endosperm developmental stages dictates the fate of these seeds. Furthermore, we show that only when being maternally inherited can PsORC3c up-regulate PsORC3b. Our findings lay the basis for an innovative route-based on ORC3 manipulation-to introgress the apomictic trait into sexual crops and overcome the fertilization barriers in interploidy crosses.

Microdeletions and vertical transmission of the Y-chromosome azoospermia factor region.

Spermatogenesis is regulated by several Y chromosome-specific genes located in a specific region of the long arm of the Y chromosome, the azoospermia factor region (AZF). AZF microdeletions are the main structural chromosomal abnormalities that cause male infertility. Assisted reproductive technology (ART) has been used to overcome natural fertilization barriers, allowing infertile couples to have children. However, these techniques increase the risk of vertical transmission of genetic defects. Despite widespread awareness of AZF microdeletions, the occurrence of de novo deletions and overexpression, as well as the expansion of AZF microdeletion vertical transmission, remains unknown. This review summarizes the mechanism of AZF microdeletion and the function of the candidate genes in the AZF region and their corresponding clinical phenotypes. Moreover, vertical transmission cases of AZF microdeletions, the impact of vertical inheritance on male fertility, and the prospective direction of research in this field are also outlined.

Prospective Attitude about the Importance of Planning Pregnancies Is Associated with Retrospective Attitude toward a Specific Pregnancy

Several theories of fertility behavior assume that planning is important to women. Is this a reasonable assumption? To answer this question, the authors used the National Survey of Fertility Barriers. Among women with unsure or positive fertility intentions at wave 1, most (75 percent) agreed with the statement “It is important to plan my pregnancies.” Logistic regression, adjusted for control variables, indicated that fertility intentions are a distinct construct from pregnancy planning attitudes. Multinomial regression of retrospective pregnancy attitude three years later among a subsample of women who had pregnancies during that period indicated that women who felt that it was more important to plan pregnancies had higher odds of describing their intentions at the time of a subsequent pregnancy as “trying to” become pregnant compared with “okay either way.” Therefore, it is useful to measure and include pregnancy planning attitude, in addition to intentions, in fertility research.

Embryo rescue of inter-specific hybrid of Solanum lycopersicum × S. neorickii

The tomato wild accession LA2325 (Solanum neorickkii) shows strong resistance to early blight (EB) caused by Alternaria solani. To study genetics of the resistance and to transfer the resistance to cultivated tomato, crosses were made between accessionLA2325 and highly susceptible genotype Hawaii 3998. The crosses yielded no viable seeds. It is well known that fertilization barriers like incompatibility and embryo abortion come in the way of development of inter-specific hybrid. This hampers introgression of resistance to cultivated tomato. In the subsequent season, pollen from LA2325was used to pollinate the susceptible cultivar and pro-embryos were collected from developing fruits 39-49 days after pollination. Rescue of immature embryos was done on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS-medium). Pro-embryos from fruits of 42 - 44 days after pollination gave good response. A total of ten plants were regenerated. Developed seedlings were hardened and shifted to green house. The hybridity of the rescued plants was confirmed by comparing the morphological characters of the interspecific hybrid and parents. Further, cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences (CAPS) marker was also used for verifying the hybridity. The embryo rescued inter-specific hybrid is being used as a resource for generating different genetic populations to study the genetics of the EB resistance and to transfer the resistance to cultivated tomato.

Studies of interspecific backcross between hybrids of (Crassostrea angulata ♀ × C. gigas ♂) and their two parental species

Interspecific hybridization between oysters Crassostrea angulata and C. gigas has been recently studied, but it remains unclear how these hybrids can be used to advance the techniques of oyster farming. Interspecific backcrossing is expected to transfer the favorable traits of a species to genetically altered F1 hybrids. In this study, therefore, interspecific backcrosses were conducted between the hybrids of C. angulata ♀ × C. gigas ♂ and their parental species, which included nine groups based on their crossed combinations: hybrid combinations and self-breeding (AG GA, GG and AA); backcross combinations (HA, HG, AH and GH); hybrid self-breeding (HH). Results showed high cleavage rate and D-larval rate in each group without fertilization barrier. Among groups, we observed (1) the highest shell height of AG on Day 12, (2) faster growth of AH than other groups from Day 90 to Day 180, (3) the highest shell height of AG after Day 180. Limited superiority of the backcross groups was found on Day 360, but the degree of heterosis of AG and AH was higher than that of other groups. A mild degree of outbreeding depression in terms of growth was found in self-breeding progenies. The survival rate among groups follows an order: the group with C. angulata as Dam > the group with the hybrid as Dam > the group with C. gigas as Dam. Positive outbreeding depression in terms of survival rate was observed on Day 360. In particular, the survival rate of AH was higher than that of other groups with a heterosis value of 54.80% at the harvest stage. In terms of relative yield, outbreeding depression and inconspicuous superiority were found. Overall, hybrid combination AG exhibited the best performance among groups, followed by backcross combination AH.

Impact of pollination strategies on fruit set and fruit growth attributes in jasmine

Jasmine occupies predominant position among the flower crops in India in terms of area, production and productivity. The demand for jasmine flowers is growing day by day owing to its wide range of uses and there is a pressing need for improving the crop by exploring strategies to evolve diverse genotypes. The present study focuses on the hybridization of Jasminum spp with the objective of introgression of desirable traits that would aid in creation of wider genetic variability. Pollination is the basis in any hybridization programme. The main aim of this research study was to determine the suitable pollination methods among self, open and cross pollination and to assess the effect of the pollination methods on the fruit set and fruit characteristics. The results of the study revealed that the overall response of J. auriculatum was found effective with maximum fruit set percentage. J. auriculatum cv Parimullai yielded the highest fruit set of 76.43% under open pollination and the least fruit set rate of 2.14% under self-pollination. Among the possible cross combination involving J. auriculatum and J. grandiflorum cultivars as seed parents with various pollen parents, J. flexile showed considerable results. Cross combination of J. auriculatum x J. flexile recorded maximum fruit set revealing best cross compatibility while crosses involving J. sambac resulted in no fruit set indicating the prevalence of fertilization barriers that hinder hybridization.

Cytological investigation on pre and post fertilization barriers in interspecific cross of pigeonpea

The research deals with cytological investigation on pre and post-fertilization barriers, pollen fertility assessment and in vitro pollen germination in Cajanus cajan (CO 8) and C. cajanifolius. To determine the fertility of the species potassium iodide test was done. Cajanus cajan (CO 8) and Cajanus cajanifolius, were found to have fertility more than 97 per cent. Through in vitro pollen germination, it was ascertained that Cajanus cajan (CO 8) and Cajanus cajanifolius were found to be equally viable. Pollen-pistil interaction in wide crosses was analysed by fluorescent microscopy. At 2 HAP, higher pollen germination percentage was found in direct (83.6%) and reciprocal crosses (81.2%). At 24 HAP, lower pollen tube growth percentage was found in direct (46.7%) and reciprocal crosses (26.8%). In direct cross, pod set per cent was found to be less, indicating post-fertilization barrier. In reciprocal cross, there was no pod set, which indicates pre-fertilization barrier. Keywords: Fluorescence microscopy, C. cajan, C. cajanifolius, Aniline blue technique, pollen pistil interactions

Home Alone: Exploring Childcare Options to Remove Barriers to Second Childbearing in Belarus

This study investigates the relationship between childcare usage and parents’ intentions to have a second child in Belarus. Previous research has established that low fertility in Belarus can be primarily explained by falling second birth rates. However, a substantial research gap remains regarding the determinants of the low rate of second childbearing in Belarus. Based on a comprehensive review of hypothesised fertility barriers and family policy options in Belarus, this study leverages data from the Belarusian Generations and Gender Survey (GGS) from 2017 to examine the relationship between formal, informal, and mixed childcare usage and parents’ intention to have a second child. The analysis is based on fertile individuals aged 18–45 who have a partner and one biological child under 11 years old (i.e., up to the age at which children leave primary school). The model controls for sex, age, education, respondents’ economic wellbeing, the employment status of both partners, and the age of their child. Applying logistic regression, the analysis demonstrates that mixed childcare support increases respondents’ intentions to have an additional child. Having a child aged 3–6 years, being below 26 years old and male, are also associated with a higher likelihood of intentions to have a second child. No association was found between economic wellbeing or employment status and second‐parity fertility intentions. The results of this study suggest that gender‐egalitarian family policy instruments that improve institutional childcare and that incentivise men to participate in childcare could reduce barriers to second childbearing in Belarus.

Reproductive Biology Analyses in Jasmine (Jasminum spp.)

Jasmine occupies predominant position among the flower crops in India in terms of area, production, productivity as well as economic and cultural significance. The demand for jasmine flowers is growing day by day owing to its wide range of uses and there is a pressing need for improving the crop by exploring strategies to evolve improved genotypes. The present study focuses on the floral morphology involved in the reproduction of Jasminum spp. Reproductive biology is the principle criterion considered in the evolution of hybrids. The aim of this study was to determine the floral traits and factors that influence successful reproduction in jasmine and assess the components that hinder fruit set. The results of the study indicated that J. flexile and J. calophyllum had superior traits in terms of pollen viability, pollen germination and stigma receptivity and also both the genotypes were well suited for all the possible pollination conditions. J. sambac recorded superior floral morphological traits but the overall response in terms of pollen viability, pollen germination and stigma receptivity were recorded the least. Assessment of breeding system that helps in analysis of pollination mechanism was also documented. J. auriculatum was found to be a potential species with maximum fruit set percentage. J. sambac recorded poor results indicating the prevalence of fertilization barriers that hinder hybridization.

Development of interspecific hybrids between urdbean & mungbean

Interspecific hybridization was performed between five genotypes of urdbean & three genotypes of mungbean to check the crossability relationship. Thirteen cross combinations of urdbean x mungbean were successfully developed. Interspecific seeds showed no germination under soil conditions so various growth media were used for germination. Interspecific seeds germinated only on the salt solution. F1 seeds of cross UG-218 x Suketi exhibited highest crossability and showed maximum response on salt solution. The study put emphasis on the different kinds of fertilization barriers. In future genetic improvement studies can be carried out with the genotypes showing substantially high percent of crossability.

Reproductive Regrets among a Population-Based Sample of U.S. Women

Women have many reproductive options, but little is known about their regrets regarding prior reproductive choices and outcomes. Guided by the life-course and stratified reproduction perspectives, this study draws on an open-ended question about reproductive regrets from wave I of the National Survey of Fertility Barriers, a representative telephone survey of reproductive aged U.S. women conducted from 2004 to 2006. The authors classified regrets into five broad categories: (1) none, (2) problematic fertility, (3) unfulfilled fertility desires, (4) family, and (5) pregnancy experiences. The authors conducted the analyses separately by motherhood status. Logistic regression analysis revealed that regardless of parental status, those who were older, had infertility, or were experiencing economic hardship were more likely to report reproductive regrets. The authors also investigated factors associated with the likelihood of expressing specific reproductive regrets. In general, the present findings confirm expectations based on the life-course and stratified reproduction perspectives.

Identification and Analysis of Genes Involved in Double Fertilization in Rice.

Double fertilization is a key determinant of grain yield, and the failure of fertilization during hybridization is one important reason for reproductive isolation. Therefore, fertilization has a very important role in the production of high-yield and well-quality hybrid of rice. Here, we used RNA sequencing technology to study the change of the transcriptome during double fertilization with the help of the mutant fertilization barrier (feb) that failed to finish fertilization process and led to seed abortion. The results showed that 1669 genes were related to the guided growth of pollen tubes, 332 genes were involved in the recognition and fusion of the male–female gametes, and 430 genes were associated with zygote formation and early free endosperm nuclear division. Among them, the genes related to carbohydrate metabolism; signal transduction pathways were enriched in the guided growth of pollen tubes, the genes involved in the photosynthesis; fatty acid synthesis pathways were activated by the recognition and fusion of the male–female gametes; and the cell cycle-related genes might play an essential role in zygote formation and early endosperm nuclear division. Furthermore, among the 1669 pollen tube-related genes, it was found that 7 arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs), 1 cysteine-rich peptide (CRP), and 15 receptor-like kinases (RLKs) were specifically expressed in anther, while 2 AGPs, 7 CRPs, and 5 RLKs in pistil, showing obvious unequal distribution which implied they might play different roles in anther and pistil during fertilization. These studies laid a solid foundation for revealing double fertilization mechanism of rice and for the follow-up investigation.

Fertility Interest and Barriers Among Transgender Patients Interested in Bilateral Simple Orchiectomy

Fertility Interest and Barriers Among Transgender Patients Interested in Bilateral Simple Orchiectomy

The Infertility-Abortion Nexus: Does Having Had an Abortion Influence Distress and Help-Seeking for Infertility?

To determine whether a history of abortion is associated with the experience of infertility among women, 2,199 women who ever met medical criteria for infertility were studied. Data for the study come from the National Survey of Fertility Barriers (NSFB), a nationally representative telephone survey of US women aged 25–45. Linear and logistic regression analysis revealed that a history of induced abortion was not statistically associated with fertility-specific distress, talking to a doctor about fertility, or seeking medical treatment for infertility. Having had an induced abortion may increase women’s confidence in their ability to get pregnant in the future.

Callose depositions underlie the incompatible reaction in intergeneric crosses of rice

AbstractDistant hybridization of cereals is often impaired by fertilization barriers. Haploid induction through intergeneric crossing is well developed in wheat but has not been successful in rice due to incompatibility issues. The present study was thus undertaken to identify fertilization barriers that hinder the compatibility of the rice cultivar Punjab Rice 121 with maize and pearl millet lines as pollinators. A total of 37,357 spikelets were pollinated, yielding 494 caryopses upon supplementation with auxins. The resultant caryopses, arising from true intergeneric crosses, lacked embryos. Imaging of the pollinated pistils at different intervals indicated that intense callose depositions block the release of generative nuclei to the ovule in these wide crosses. Rice spikelets pollinated with rice pollen (cis-generic crosses) exhibited positive indicators of fertilization reaction at the micropyle. While the cis-generic crosses initiated true caryopsis formation after 24 h, no comparative reaction was observed in the intergeneric crosses. The current survey underlines that the rice female gametophyte presents a strong pre-fertilization barrier to foreign pollen. This barrier may be modulated in the future by altering genotype and auxin combinations.

An insight into the reproductive success in an interspecific cross of sesamum

Sesame viz., Sesamum indicum (CO 1) and Sesamum alatum. The wild species are the potential source for biotic and abiotic stress-resistant genes and therefore high crossability with the cultivated variety is very essential for the transfer of genes through a conventional breeding programme. The pollen images obtained and the number of colpi counted from Light Microscope and Scanning Electron Microscope assisted in differentiating the pollen of Sesamum indicum from Sesamum alatum. The pollen fertility assessment by Acetocarmine test proved that Sesamum indicum (CO 1) was more fertile than Sesamum alatum and hence the former was presumed to be the better pollen-producing parent in terms of fertility. The pollen pistil interaction by aniline blue technique between direct and reciprocal crosses of two species of Sesamum reported higher and lower germination per cent at 2 HAP and 8 HAP, respectively. The mean pollen germination per cent of the direct and reciprocal cross was observed to be 69.99 and 58.59, respectively. In the direct cross, the pollen tube managed to reach the ovary but did not set seeds and hence is claimed to possess a post-zygotic fertilization barrier. In the reciprocal cross, the growth of the pollen tube stopped before reaching the ovary apparently, no seed set was observed and therefore designated to have pre zygotic fertilization barriers. Direct and reciprocal crosses were compared and ways to mitigate fertilization barriers are discussed. Key words: Sesame, interspecific cross, pollen pistil interactions, aniline blue technique, fertilization barriers

An integrated transcriptomic and proteomic approach to dynamically study the mechanism of pollen-pistil interactions during jasmine crossing

Jasmine (Jasminum sambac Aiton, Oleaceae) flowers are widely consumed in many countries for their tea-making, medicinal and ornamental properties. To improve the quality and yield of flowers, it is very important to carry out cross-breeding between different petal types of jasmine. However, because of the difficulty of sexual reproduction, there is no report on the success of jasmine crosses. In this paper, single- and double-petal jasmine plants were crossed artificially. The stigmas of single-petal plants post pollination, including those at 0 h after pollination (CK), 1 h after pollination (T1) and 6 h after pollination (T2), were sequenced by transcriptomic combined with proteomic analyses. A total of 178,098 gene products were assembled. Simultaneously, a total of 2337 protein species were identified. Some regulatory gene products and functional protein species were identified that may be involved in the process of pollen-pistil interactions. These findings suggest that the identified differentially expressed gene products and differentially accumulated protein species may play vital roles in jasmine plants in response to pollen-pistil interactions, providing important genetic resources for further functional dissection of the molecular mechanisms of these interactions. SignificanceThese results have important scientific significance to take effective measures to overcome pre-fertilization barriers and to guide the cross breeding of jasmine. Further, they can also be used for reference in other plant breeding with the same fertilization barriers.

Is Reproductive Orientation Associated with Sexual Satisfaction Among Partnered U.S. Women?

Little is known about how "reproductive orientation" (i.e., trying to get pregnant, ambivalent about pregnancy, trying to avoid pregnancy, or having had a sterilization surgery) is associated with sexual satisfaction among women of childbearing age. Using data from the National Survey of Fertility Barriers (N = 2811), we examined the association of reproductive orientation with sexual satisfaction, adjusting for relationship characteristics including union type (cohabitation versus marriage), quality, and length; infertility history; and demographic characteristics including age, parity, and race/ethnicity. Results indicated that women who were ambivalent or trying to get pregnant reported significantly higher levels of sexual satisfaction than women who were sterile in the unadjusted model, but not in the models that included relationship quality. The association of reproductive orientation and sexual satisfaction depended upon relationship quality; among women with lower relationship quality, "trying" was associated with higher, and among those with higher relationship quality, with lower sexual satisfaction.

Continuity and changes in attitudes toward marriage in contemporary Taiwan

Research on marriage values bears crucial policy implications in a low-fertility context where obstacles to marriage are indicative of fertility barriers, particularly when non-marital births are rare. Using multiple waves of the Taiwan Social Change Survey between 1985 and 2015, this study explores the attitudinal shifts in marriage during a time of rapid social change. The findings indicate that substantial changes have taken place with regard to the institution of marriage. A cohort replacement effect, as well as intra-cohort changes, are the main drivers for the majority of changes in attitudes toward marriage. Overall, more people in the general public now believe that marriages do not necessarily bring more happiness and satisfaction to one’s life. More of them increasingly believe that conventional norms imposed on married couples, and women in particular, should be relaxed. These include norms about living arrangements, in-law relationships, divorce, and the importance of childbearing. However, preferences for marital births have changed little, and more people in the 2010s endorse the notion of having at least one son to continue the family lineage, than in the 1990s. These seemingly paradoxical patterns of value liberalisation and traditional fertility preferences, along with rising female autonomy, could make the “marriage package” seem less desirable for younger cohorts of economically independent women, leading to delayed (or even foregone) family formation.