Communication between cells in ovarian follicle is a prerequisite for oocyte maturation and ovarian functions, disturbances of which lead to infertility. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and poor response to hormonal stimulation in infertility treatment are types of subfertility of ovarian aetiology. The current project addresses the importance of intercellular communication in human ovarian follicle by combining various RNA sequencing methods (RNA-seq) with systems biology analysis. The full-length single molecule RNA-seq will be exploited to characterize the mRNA isoform map of ovarian granulosa cell populations. MicroRNA profile of cells and follicular fluids will also be analysed. Single-cell RNA-seq will describe immune cell populations in the ovarian pre-ovulatory follicle. The datasets will be integrated to model communication between follicular cells to reveal signalling pathways disturbed by (post-)transcriptional events in PCOS and poorly responding IVF patients.
The project will focus on establishing and describing the long-term in vitro culture of primary human ovarian somatic cells for the future use in the fields of reproductive biotechnology, toxicology and functional studies for the better understanding of the ovarian etiologies of female infertility.