P SMITH and others Development of mammalian 221:3 R145–R161 Review ovary Development of mammalian ovary Peter Smith1,2, Dagmar Wilhelm3 and Raymond J Rodgers4 1AgResearch Invermay, Puddle Alley, Mosgiel 9053, New Zealand Correspondence 2Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand should be addressed 3Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia to P Smith 4Robinson Research Institute, Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Email Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
[email protected] Abstract Pre-natal and early post-natal ovarian development has become a field of increasing Key Words importance over recent years. The full effects of perturbations of ovarian development on " ovary adult fertility, through environmental changes or genetic anomalies, are only now being " fetus truly appreciated. Mitigation of these perturbations requires an understanding of the " development processes involved in the development of the ovary. Herein, we review some recent findings " polycystic ovary syndrome from mice, sheep, and cattle on the key events involved in ovarian development. We discuss " premature ovary failure the key process of germ cell migration, ovigerous cord formation, meiosis, and follicle formation and activation. We also review the key contributions of mesonephric cells to ovarian development and propose roles for these cells. Finally, we discuss polycystic ovary syndrome, premature ovarian failure, and pre-natal undernutrition; three key areas in which perturbations to ovarian development appear to have major effects on post-natal fertility. Journal of Endocrinology (2014) 221, R145–R161 Journal of Endocrinology Introduction The developmental origins of health and disease are an development, bringing together the commonly accepted area of increasing research.