Katherine "Lily" Wu Graduate Student (Ph.D. Program) Major Professor: Trish Berger Phone: 916-752-7544 FAX: (530)752-0175 E-mail: klwu@ucdavis.edu

Education

B.S., Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, January 2001
Ph.D., Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology, University of California, Davis, (In Progress). Designated Emphasis in Reproductive Physiology

Project: 

Title: Mechanism for the reduction in female fertility after exposure to trichloroethylene

Description: Numerous industrial and environmental chemicals have the potential to adversely affect reproductive function. Trichloroethylene, is a widespread environmental contaminant, and used extensively in industrial applications (degreasers, paint solvents), and consumer products (paint, glue, spot removers); it has recently been shown to affect oocyte fertilizability in rats. The oocytes from trichloroethylene exposed female rats had a significantly reduced ability to bind sperm plasma membrane proteins compared with control rat oocytes; similarly, the percentage of oocytes fertilized following exposure to trichloroethylene was significantly lowered.

The mechanism by which trichloroethylene decreases oocyte fertilizability has yet to be elucidated.  Given that the ovary and oocyte possess enzymes capable of metabolizing trichloroethylene, cytochrome P450 and glutathione respectively, the effects of trichloroethylene metabolites could directly “alter” developing follicles (oocyte and granulosa cells).  In other words, genes encoding necessary oocyte and/or granulosa cell components could be up- or down-regulated, thus prohibiting normal development.

Overall, an understanding of the molecular mechanism by which trichloroethylene reduces oocyte fertilizability will increase current knowledge of female fertility.  In the future, this knowledge could potentially have applications in contraceptive development.