CSIRO PUBLISHING | Reproduction, Fertility and Development

This Collection of Reproduction, Fertility and Development papers addresses a new area of melatonin biology. Historically, melatonin has been seen as a pineal hormone that plays one essential role – the synchronisation of reproductive and other brain-controlled functions with changes in photoperiod. Often driven by the detection of melatonin receptors in non-brain tissues, it has become clear that melatonin plays a much wider variety of roles in the function of the testis, sperm, ovary, follicles, oocyte, embryo, placenta, fetus and mammary gland. This Collection presents this broader view of melatonin biology, and how the new concepts can be applied to livestock production.

Editors
Alfonso Abecia, Guest Editor (Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain)
Graeme B. Martin, Co-Editor-in-Chief (Reproduction Fertility and Development)

Last Updated: 16 May 2024

RD23233Differential effect of melatonin on ram spermatozoa depending on the allelic variant of the RsaI polymorphism of the MTR1A gene, incubation medium and season

Victoria Peña-Delgado

, Agustí Noya

, Melissa Carvajal-Serna

, José A Abecia

, Rosaura Pérez-Pe

and Adriana Casao

Experimental design for testing the influence of melatonin on ram spermatozoa with RsaI polymorphism of the MTNR1A gene

Melatonin regulates seasonal reproduction in ovine species. This study explores the influence of the melatonin receptor gene and its variants on the response of ram spermatozoa to melatonin in different seasons and media. Results revealed that having specific variants of the gene affects how sperm cells react to melatonin. Understanding these genetic variations could aid in enhancing reproductive techniques in ovine species. Image by Victoria Peña-Delgado.

This article belongs to the Collection Melatonin.

RD23139Melatonin administration during the first half of pregnancy improves physiological response and reproductive performance of rabbits under heat stress conditions

Nesrein M. Hashem

, Elshymaa A. Abdelnaby, Mahmoud Madkour and Hossam R. El-Sherbiny

Impacts of melatonin on heat-stressed pregnant rabbits.

Melatonin administration (1 mg/kg body weight) during the first half of pregnancy of heat-stressed rabbits improved heat-tolerance capacity, sex hormone production, and fetal viability. These positive effects were subsequently associated with improved conception rate and kindling rate. Image by authors.

This article belongs to the Collection Non-photoperiodic Actions of Melatonin.

RD22194The melatonin system is expressed in the ovine uterus: effect of the day of the oestrous cycle and undernutrition

C. Sosa

, E. Laurenzana, V. de Brun, A. Meikle and J. A. Abecia

pp. 563-574

graphical abstract image

Melatonin has important effects on reproduction, but the melatonin system has not been studied in the sheep uterus. This research demonstrated the expression of melatonin synthetising and catabolising enzymes, and melatonin receptors in the sheep uterus, and showed that they are influenced by the day of the oestrous cycle and undernutrition. The results help explain the adverse effects of undernutrition on reproduction in sheep, and the success of exogenous melatonin treatments in improving reproductive outcomes.