{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T07:00:57Z","timestamp":1791356457926,"version":"4.3.1"},"reference-count":64,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,7]],"date-time":"2022-11-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1667779200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Life"],"abstract":"<jats:p>There is an increasing number of couples interested in identifying the fertile window for the purpose of conceiving. From what has been published so far, it can be concluded that there are no reliable methods to predict ovulation, and, therefore, to predict the fertile window. Proteins of the cervical mucus (CM) could behave as biomarkers to allow the early and precise identification of ovulation. CM samples were collected from the lumen of the cervical canal from women of reproductive age, on three different days of the same menstrual cycle. Samples were first analyzed and classified by light microscopy. High-resolution mass spectrometry and bioinformatic analysis were performed afterwards to determine the in vivo changes of CM protein composition. CM underwent cyclical changes in its biophysical composition, which were evidenced by changes in the crystallographic patterns observed under the light microscope. The proteomic analysis revealed changes in the protein composition of CM along the cycle. Twenty-five out of the forty-eight total proteins identified could become potential biomarkers of ovulation. The coordinated changes in the composition of the CM around the time of ovulation could be happening to specifically grant access to a foreign body, such as the sperm might be.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/life12111815","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,8]],"date-time":"2022-11-08T12:11:00Z","timestamp":1667909460000},"page":"1815","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Light Microscopy and Proteomic Patterns of Ovulation in Cervical Mucus"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Yolanda","family":"Fernandez-Hermida","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Internacional University of Catalonia, 08195 Sant Cugat del Vall\u00e9s, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0124-2234","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Federica","family":"Vincenzoni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Universit\u00e0 Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Fondazione Policlinico Universitario \u201cA. Gemelli\u201d IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Domenico","family":"Milardi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"International Scientific Institute \u201cPaul VI\u201d, 00168 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Division of Endocrinology, Fondazione Policlinico \u201cA. Gemelli\u201d IRCSS, 00185 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anna Laura","family":"Astorri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"International Scientific Institute \u201cPaul VI\u201d, 00168 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Division of Endocrinology, Fondazione Policlinico \u201cA. Gemelli\u201d IRCSS, 00185 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"Urbani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Universit\u00e0 Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Fondazione Policlinico Universitario \u201cA. Gemelli\u201d IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3264-0937","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giuseppe","family":"Grande","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0093-333X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rafael","family":"Azagra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Health Center Badia del Valles, Institut Catal\u00e0 de la Salut, 08214 Badia del Vall\u00e9s, Spain"},{"name":"GROIMAP Research Group, Research Support Unit Metropolitana Nord, Instituto Universitario IDIAP Jordi Gol, 08290 Cerdanyola del Vall\u00e9s, Spain"},{"name":"Fundaci\u00f3 Privada PRECIOSA per la Investigaci\u00f3, 0821 Barber\u00e1 del Vall\u00e9s, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"1333","article-title":"Timing intercourse to achieve pregnancy: Current evidence","volume":"100","author":"Stanford","year":"2002","journal-title":"Obstet. 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