** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** REPRODUCTIVE INEFFICIENCY IS A LIMITING FACTOR FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF BEEF CATTLE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS THAT LEADS TO FINANCIAL LOSSES TO CATTLE PRODUCERS. AS OBSERVED IN WOMEN, FERTILITY IN CATTLE HAS DECLINED SIGNIFICANTLY FOR SEVERAL DECADES. THE OVULATORY PERIOD IS VITAL FOR FERTILITY AND EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT GONADOTROPIN-STIMULATED METABOLIC PROCESSES ARE CORRELATED WITH SUCCESSFUL OVULATION. OUR GOALS ARE TO DISCOVER THE METABOLIC CHARACTERISTICS OF OVARIAN FOLLICULAR CELLS DURING THE PROCESS OF OVULATION AND HOW THEY CONTRIBUTE TO FERTILITY. THE SPECIFIC AIMS OF THIS PROJECT ARE (1) TO UNDERSTAND THE METABOLIC PATHWAYS AND (2) MITOCHONDRIAL DYNAMICS ACTIVATED DURING OVULATION AND LUTEINIZATION. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE NEW KNOWLEDGE OF THE METABOLITES AND ENERGETIC PATHWAYS ACTIVATED DURING OVULATION AND DIFFERENTIATION OF FOLLICULAR CELLS. TOGETHER, THE FINDINGS WILL PROVIDE NOVEL INSIGHT INTO THE MECHANISMS AND MOLECULES THAT CAN BE USED TO CONTROL SUCCESSFUL OVULATION ANDFORMATION OF THE CORPUS LUTEUM. KNOWLEDGE OF METABOLIC AND MITOCHONDRIAL PATHWAYS INVOLVED IN OVULATION MAY ELUCIDATE NOVEL APPROACHES FOR OVERCOMING INFERTILITY.