Defining functional puberty in female C57BL/6J mice using endocrine, cytological and morphological markers
Abstract
Puberty marks the transition to reproductive competence and is driven by activation of the hypothalamo/pituitary/gonadal axis, culminating in first ovulation in females. In mice, puberty onset is commonly inferred from vaginal opening and estrous cyclicity, but the precise timing of first ovulation remains unclear. Here, we aimed to define reliable parameters of functional puberty in female C57BL/6J mice by integrating external, endocrine, and morphological measures. Vaginal opening and daily vaginal cytology were combined with daily serum luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) measurements and ovarian histology using the Pubertal Ovarian Maturation Score (Pub-Score), which estimates ovulation based on follicular development and corpus luteum morphology. Notably, we observed substantial inter-individual variability in puberty-related events, and no link between estrous cytology and first ovulation. Pub-Score analysis indicated that first ovulation occurred between 36 and 54 days postnatal, with a mean around 44 days, with no correlation with vaginal cytology. LH surges were detected in some of the females that had ovulated and showed limited temporal correspondence with vaginal cytology or Pub-Score estimates. Together, these findings demonstrate that puberty in female mice is a gradual, asynchronous process and that external or cytological markers alone are insufficient to define functional reproductive maturity.
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BibTeX
@article{chester2026defining,
title = {{Defining functional puberty in female C57BL/6J mice using endocrine, cytological and morphological markers}},
author = {Mélanie Chester and Noalig Wyckens and Eloïse Airaud and Raphaël Corre and Claire-Hélène Petrovic and Alice Pierre and Céline Julie Guigon},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-57314-7},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05769131v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Defining functional puberty in female C57BL/6J mice using endocrine, cytological and morphological markers
AU - Mélanie Chester
AU - Noalig Wyckens
AU - Eloïse Airaud
AU - Raphaël Corre
AU - Claire-Hélène Petrovic
AU - Alice Pierre
AU - Céline Julie Guigon
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/12
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-57314-7
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05769131v1
AB - Puberty marks the transition to reproductive competence and is driven by activation of the hypothalamo/pituitary/gonadal axis, culminating in first ovulation in females. In mice, puberty onset is commonly inferred from vaginal opening and estrous cyclicity, but the precise timing of first ovulation remains unclear. Here, we aimed to define reliable parameters of functional puberty in female C57BL/6J mice by integrating external, endocrine, and morphological measures. Vaginal opening and daily vaginal cytology were combined with daily serum luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) measurements and ovarian histology using the Pubertal Ovarian Maturation Score (Pub-Score), which estimates ovulation based on follicular development and corpus luteum morphology. Notably, we observed substantial inter-individual variability in puberty-related events, and no link between estrous cytology and first ovulation. Pub-Score analysis indicated that first ovulation occurred between 36 and 54 days postnatal, with a mean around 44 days, with no correlation with vaginal cytology. LH surges were detected in some of the females that had ovulated and showed limited temporal correspondence with vaginal cytology or Pub-Score estimates. Together, these findings demonstrate that puberty in female mice is a gradual, asynchronous process and that external or cytological markers alone are insufficient to define functional reproductive maturity.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -