Anti-Müllerian Hormone and Ovarian Follicle Dynamics in Livestock

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) serves as a robust endocrine marker of the ovarian follicle reserve across mammalian species. Secreted by granulosa cells in pre-antral and small antral follicles, AMH concentration correlates closely with the antral follicle count (AFC) and provides a non-invasive estimate of reproductive potential. In livestock, this information has profound implications for selection of breeding stock, management of ovarian stimulation programmes, and optimisation of assisted reproductive technologies such as superovulation, in vivo and in vitro embryo production. Variation in AMH levels reflects inherent differences in follicular recruitment dynamics, responsiveness to follicle-stimulating hormone and oestradiol synthesis. Livestock studies have highlighted inter-breed and intra-breed variability in AMH concentrations, linking high AMH to greater oocyte yield but sometimes to unexpected patterns in conception rates. Understanding the interplay between AMH, AFC and ovarian function underpins global breeding programmes aimed at improving fertility, genetic gain and economic efficiency in cattle, sheep and other farmed species.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated that variation in antral follicle count influences ovarian morphology and reproductive outcomes in Bos indicus cattle. Females with high counts exhibited larger ovarian area yet lower pregnancy rates following timed artificial insemination, while those with fewer antral follicles achieved higher conception rates. Transcriptomic analyses of oocytes and cumulus cells revealed differential expression of genes involved in steroidogenesis, cell cycle control, intercellular communication and epigenetic regulation. These findings shed light on the molecular pathways linking follicle reserve to embryo competence and provide a framework for refining selection of donors in assisted reproduction programmes.

Anti-Müllerian Hormone and Ovarian Follicle Dynamics in Livestock publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in anti-müllerian hormone and ovarian follicle dynamics in livestock across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH): Glycoprotein secreted by granulosa cells in small follicles, indicative of the ovarian reserve.

Antral follicle count (AFC): Number of fluid-filled follicles of a specific size range visible on ultrasound, reflecting potential oocyte yield.

Anogenital distance (AGD): Measurement from the anus to the base of the genitalia, explored as a low-cost proxy for female fertility in cattle.

Cumulus cells: Granulosa cell subset that surrounds and supports the oocyte, crucial for follicle development and oocyte competence.

References

1. Phenotypic and genetic relationships among anogenital distance, anti-Müllerian hormone, and in vitro embryo production in Gyr dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science (2023).
2. Relationships between the antral follicle count, steroidogenesis, and secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone and anti-Müllerian hormone during follicular growth in cattle. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology (2019).
3. Ovarian follicular dynamics, progesterone concentrations, pregnancy rates and transcriptional patterns in Bos indicus females with a high or low antral follicle count. Scientific Reports (2020).
4. Efficacy of a single measurement of plasma anti-Müllerian hormone concentration for ovum pick-up donor selection of Japanese Black heifers in herd breeding programs. Journal of Reproduction and Development (2019).
5. AMH: Could It Be Used as A Biomarker for Fertility and Superovulation in Domestic Animals?. Genes (2019).