了解卵巢发育和功能的分子途径对改善研究生殖能力的方法至关重要。尽管我们对卵巢分子活动的认识有了显著提高，但在了解影响生育能力和卵巢病理（如癌症）的因素方面，仍有许多问题没有得到回答。在这里，我们对成年小鼠卵巢中发育转录因子LIM Homeobox 9（LHX9）的表达和功能进行了研究。我们在卵泡不同阶段的几种细胞类型中表征了Lhx9的表达情况。为了评估成年卵巢中可能的LHX9功能，我们研究了Lhx9+/-敲除小鼠模型中的卵巢解剖和转录。尽管基因型之间没有明显的解剖差异，但RNA测序发现Lhx9+/-和Lhx9+ / +小鼠之间有90个差异表达基因。基因本体分析揭示了在卵巢类固醇激素合成中具有重要作用的基因表达减少，而与卵巢癌相关的基因表达增加。卵巢上皮分析显示，Lhx9+/-小鼠具有紊乱的上皮表型，相应地有显着增加的上皮标记基因表达。这些结果提供了关于成年小鼠卵巢中Lhx9的分析，表明其在生育能力和卵巢上皮癌中起到了作用。©2023年由Wiley Periodicals LLC出版的分子生殖与发育期刊的作者。

Understanding the molecular pathways that underpin ovarian development and function is vital for improving the research approaches to investigating fertility. Despite a significant improvement in our knowledge of molecular activity in the ovary, many questions remain unanswered in the quest to understand factors influencing fertility and ovarian pathologies such as cancer. Here, we present an investigation into the expression and function of the developmental transcription factor LIM Homeobox 9 (LHX9) in the adult mouse ovary. We have characterized Lhx9 expression in several cell types of the mature ovary across follicle stages. To evaluate possible LHX9 function in the adult ovary, we investigated ovarian anatomy and transcription in an Lhx9+/- knockout mouse model displaying subfertility. Despite a lack of gross anatomical differences between genotypes, RNA-sequencing found that 90 differentially expressed genes between Lhx9+/ - and Lhx9+/+ mice. Gene ontology analyses revealed a reduced expression of genes with major roles in ovarian steroidogenesis and an increased expression of genes associated with ovarian cancer. Analysis of the ovarian epithelium revealed Lhx9+/ - mice have a disorganized epithelial phenotype, corresponding to a significant increase in epithelial marker gene expression. These results provide an analysis of Lhx9 in the adult mouse ovary, suggesting a role in fertility and ovarian epithelial cancer.© 2023 The Authors. Molecular Reproduction and Development published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.