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Biological optimisation, the Goldilocks principle, and how much is lagom in the preimplantation embryo (2016)
Journal Article
Leese, H. J., Guérif, F., Allgar, V., Brison, D. R., Lundin, K., & Sturmey, R. G. (2016). Biological optimisation, the Goldilocks principle, and how much is lagom in the preimplantation embryo. Molecular Reproduction and Development, 83(9), 748-754. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrd.22684

The quiet embryo hypothesis postulates that early embryo viability is associated with a relatively low metabolism (Leese. 2002. BioEssays 24: 845-849). This proposal is re-visited here using retrospective and prospective data on the metabolic activit... Read More about Biological optimisation, the Goldilocks principle, and how much is lagom in the preimplantation embryo.

Expression and function of transient receptor potential channels in the female bovine reproductive tract (2016)
Journal Article
Ghavideldarestani, M., Atkin, S. L., Leese, H. J., & Sturmey, R. G. (2016). Expression and function of transient receptor potential channels in the female bovine reproductive tract. Theriogenology, 86(2), 551-561. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2016.02.005

© 2016 Elsevier Inc. The epithelium lining the oviduct is critical for early reproductive events, many of which are mediated via intracellular calcium ions. Despite this, little is known about the regulation of calcium homeostasis in the oviductal ep... Read More about Expression and function of transient receptor potential channels in the female bovine reproductive tract.

Human cell dedifferentiation in mesenchymal condensates through controlled autophagy (2015)
Journal Article
Pennock, R., Bray, E., Pryor, P., James, S., McKeegan, P., Sturmey, R., & Genever, P. (2015). Human cell dedifferentiation in mesenchymal condensates through controlled autophagy. Scientific reports, 5(1), Article ARTN 13113. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep13113

Tissue and whole organ regeneration is a dramatic biological response to injury that occurs across different plant and animal phyla. It frequently requires the dedifferentiation of mature cells to a condensed mesenchymal blastema, from which replacem... Read More about Human cell dedifferentiation in mesenchymal condensates through controlled autophagy.

Embryo metabolism : what does it really mean? (2015)
Journal Article
Sturmey, R., & Lewis, N. (2015). Embryo metabolism : what does it really mean?. Animal reproduction / Colegio Brasileiro de Reproducao Animal, 12(3), 521-528

The study of early embryo metabolism has fascinated researchers in the field for nearly a century. Herein, we give a brief account of the general features of embryo metabolism and some consideration of the research performed to reach such conclusions... Read More about Embryo metabolism : what does it really mean?.

Human embryos from overweight and obese women display phenotypic and metabolic abnormalities (2014)
Journal Article
Leary, C., Leese, H. J., & Sturmey, R. G. (2015). Human embryos from overweight and obese women display phenotypic and metabolic abnormalities. Human Reproduction, 30(1), 122-132. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deu276

STUDY QUESTION Is the developmental timing and metabolic regulation disrupted in embryos from overweight or obese women? SUMMARY ANSWER Oocytes from overweight or obese women are smaller than those from women of healthy weight, yet post-fertilization... Read More about Human embryos from overweight and obese women display phenotypic and metabolic abnormalities.

Amino acids in the uterine luminal fluid reflects the temporal changes in transporter expression in the endometrium and conceptus during early pregnancy in cattle (2014)
Journal Article
Forde, N., Simintiras, C. A., Sturmey, R., Mamo, S., Kelly, A. K., Spencer, T. E., …Lonergan, P. (2014). Amino acids in the uterine luminal fluid reflects the temporal changes in transporter expression in the endometrium and conceptus during early pregnancy in cattle. PLoS ONE, 9(6), e100010. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0100010

In cattle, conceptus-maternal interactions are critical for the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. A major component of this early interaction involves the transport of nutrients and secretion of key molecules by uterine epithelial cells to... Read More about Amino acids in the uterine luminal fluid reflects the temporal changes in transporter expression in the endometrium and conceptus during early pregnancy in cattle.

Metabolic heterogeneity during preimplantation development: The missing link? (2014)
Journal Article
Brison, D. R., Sturmey, R. G., & Leese, H. J. (2014). Metabolic heterogeneity during preimplantation development: The missing link?. Human Reproduction Update, 20(5), 632-640. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmu018

BACKGROUND Most tissues in the body rely on the presence of gap junctions in order to couple their component cells electrically and metabolically via intercellular transport of ions, metabolites and signalling agents. As a result, cells within tissue... Read More about Metabolic heterogeneity during preimplantation development: The missing link?.

Parallels between embryo and cancer cell metabolism (2013)
Journal Article
Smith, D., & Sturmey, R. (2013). Parallels between embryo and cancer cell metabolism. Biochemical Society Transactions, 41(2), 664 - 669. https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20120352

A key characteristic of cancer cells is the ability to switch from a predominantly oxidative metabolism to glycolysis and the production of lactate even when oxygen is plentiful. This metabolic switch, known as the Warburg effect, was first described... Read More about Parallels between embryo and cancer cell metabolism.

Expression and localization of creatine kinase in the preimplantation embryo (2012)
Journal Article
Forsey, K. E., Ellis, P. J., Sargent, C. A., Sturmey, R. G., & Leese, H. J. (2013). Expression and localization of creatine kinase in the preimplantation embryo. Molecular Reproduction and Development, 80(3), 185-192. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrd.22146

Creatine Kinase (CK) catalyses the “creatine shuttle,” the reversible conversion of creatine phosphate to creatine with the liberation of ATP. This article examines the potential role of the creatine shuttle in the provision of ATP during mouse preim... Read More about Expression and localization of creatine kinase in the preimplantation embryo.

Oocyte developmental failure in response to elevated nonesterified fatty acid concentrations: mechanistic insights (2012)
Journal Article
Van Hoeck, V., Leroy, J. L. M. R., Arias Alvarez, M., Rizos, D., Gutierrez-Adan, A., Schnorbusch, K., …Sturmey, R. G. (2013). Oocyte developmental failure in response to elevated nonesterified fatty acid concentrations: mechanistic insights. Reproduction, 145(1), 33-44. https://doi.org/10.1530/REP-12-0174

Elevated plasma nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations are associated with negative energy balance and metabolic disorders such as obesity and type II diabetes. Such increased plasma NEFA concentrations induce changes in the microenvironment... Read More about Oocyte developmental failure in response to elevated nonesterified fatty acid concentrations: mechanistic insights.

Variable imprinting of the MEST gene in human preimplantation embryos (2012)
Journal Article
Huntriss, J. D., Hemmings, K. E., Hinkins, M., Rutherford, A. J., Sturmey, R. G., Elder, K., & Picton, H. M. (2013). Variable imprinting of the MEST gene in human preimplantation embryos. European Journal of Human Genetics, 21(1), 40-47. https://doi.org/10.1038/ejhg.2012.102

There is evidence that expression and methylation of the imprinted paternally expressed gene 1/mesoderm-specific transcript homologue (PEG1/MEST) gene may be affected by assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) and infertility. In this study, we sou... Read More about Variable imprinting of the MEST gene in human preimplantation embryos.

Elevated non-esterified fatty acid concentrations during bovine oocyte maturation compromise early embryo physiology (2011)
Journal Article
Van Hoeck, V., Sturmey, R. G., Bermejo-Alvarez, P., Rizos, D., Gutierrez-Adan, A., Leese, H. J., …Leroy, J. L. M. R. (2011). Elevated non-esterified fatty acid concentrations during bovine oocyte maturation compromise early embryo physiology. PLoS ONE, 6(8), e23183. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0023183

Elevated concentrations of serum non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), associated with maternal disorders such as obesity and type II diabetes, alter the ovarian follicular micro-environment and have been associated with subfertility arising from reduc... Read More about Elevated non-esterified fatty acid concentrations during bovine oocyte maturation compromise early embryo physiology.

Amino acid metabolism of bovine blastocysts: A biomarker of sex and viability (2010)
Journal Article
Sturmey, R. G., Bermejo-Alvarez, P., Gutierrez-Adan, A., Rizos, D., Leese, H. J., & Lonergan, P. (2010). Amino acid metabolism of bovine blastocysts: A biomarker of sex and viability. Molecular Reproduction and Development, 77(3), 285-296. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrd.21145

The ratio of male/female embryos may be modified by environmental factors such as maternal diet in vivo and the composition of embryo culture media in vitro. We have used amino acid profiling, a noninvasive marker of developmental potential to compar... Read More about Amino acid metabolism of bovine blastocysts: A biomarker of sex and viability.

Removal of red light minimizes methylene blue-stimulated DNA damage in oesophageal cells: implications for chromoendoscopy (2009)
Journal Article
Sturmey, R. G., Wild, C. P., & Hardie, L. J. (2009). Removal of red light minimizes methylene blue-stimulated DNA damage in oesophageal cells: implications for chromoendoscopy. Mutagenesis, 24(3), 253-258. https://doi.org/10.1093/mutage/gep004

Barrett's oesophagus (BO) carries an increased risk of progression to oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Chromoendoscopy with methylene blue (MB) can be used to facilitate identification of BO and target areas for biopsy. If photoexcited, MB can generate re... Read More about Removal of red light minimizes methylene blue-stimulated DNA damage in oesophageal cells: implications for chromoendoscopy.

DNA damage and metabolic activity in the preimplantation embryo (2008)
Journal Article
Sturmey, R. G., Hawkhead, J. A., Barker, E. A., & Leese, H. J. (2009). DNA damage and metabolic activity in the preimplantation embryo. Human Reproduction, 24(1), 81-91. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/den346

BACKGROUND: Embryos with greater viability have a lower or 'quieter' amino acid metabolism than those which arrest. We have hypothesized this is due to non-viable embryos possessing greater cellular/molecular damage and consuming more nutrients, such... Read More about DNA damage and metabolic activity in the preimplantation embryo.