About this Research Topic
Several trace elements are essential for maintaining fertility and hence in reproduction like Zn and Se. Studies have shown how the absence or presence of Cu, Mo, Zn, and Se plays an essential role in reproduction in sheep and goats. In women, zinc plays a vital role in many key reproductive health areas including egg production, maintaining proper follicular fluid levels, and hormone regulation. Low levels of zinc have been directly linked to miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy.
Selenium deficiency is associated with several reproductive issues like female infertility, and pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, preterm labor, and gestational diabetes.
Moreover, Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), and Mercury (Hg) are heavy metals that are cumulative poisonous and have been proven responsible for endometrial dysfunctions, implantation failure, premature delivery, subfertility, spontaneous abortions, and preeclampsia.
The wide involvement of biometals in reproduction highlights the need for further research in the area. So, studying biometals molecular signaling in reproductive organs will help us to find a promising marker for infertility. It will be also vital to understand the live birth rate and the link between fetuses born with abnormalities and deficiency of essential elements required during pregnancy. Unraveling the role of these elements will be the crux to understanding their role in reproduction at transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels.
Areas to be covered in this Research Topic may include but are not limited to:
• Research unraveling the role of trace elements in animal fertility. How can their deficiency impact live births?
• Role of heavy metals present in the environment impacting molecular signaling in reproductive organs and thus resulting in subfertility or infertility.
• Role of zinc during egg fertilization.
• Epigenetic changes due to trace elements in animal reproduction.
• Studies targeting metal transporters to improve fertility.
• The use of biometals as a marker for diagnosis of any disease associated with animal fertility.
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Keywords: Biometals, trace elements, Heavy metals, Metal transporters, metal deficiency, animal reproduction
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