FOXO3 overexpression delays primordial follicle activation in chickens
Overexpressing the transcription factor kept avian follicles dormant and suppressed PI3K and AKT signaling during early ovarian development.
Poultry science · Lan M et al. · Paper published 21 Sep 2026
In chickens, overexpressing the transcription factor FOXO3 delays primordial follicle activation and maintains ovarian dormancy. Researchers created germline chimeric chickens carrying FOXO3-overexpressing primordial germ cells using a targeted germ cell ablation system. These modified germ cells showed reduced proliferation but retained normal migration and germline identity. Quantitative staging at 3, 4, 7, and 21 days post-hatch revealed that ovaries with elevated FOXO3 maintained a higher proportion of dormant primordial follicles and fewer growing follicles than controls. By day 21, dormant follicles displayed sustained nuclear or perinuclear FOXO3 localization. Overexpression also decreased apoptosis at 3 days post-hatch and blocked the activation of PI3K and AKT signaling at 4 days post-hatch.
Why it matters
Primordial follicle activation determines the duration of female reproductive lifespan. Finding that FOXO3 preserves follicle dormancy in chickens shows that this mechanism of ovarian reserve regulation is conserved outside of mammals.
Caveats
The findings are limited to chickens evaluated up to 21 days post-hatch, leaving long-term impacts on adult fertility and reproductive lifespan unexamined.
Written from the paper’s abstract, and every claim checked against it before publishing. Read the paper for the full methods and data.
The paper
In vivo evidence for FOXO3-mediated suppression of primordial follicle activation in chickens
Lan M, Peng R, Yang Y et al.
Poultry science · 21 Sep 2026 · Peer-reviewed
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