Profile

Contact Details

Phone: +64 3 479 7440
Email: michael.pankhurst@otago.ac.nz

University Links

Position: Senior Lecturer
Department: Department of Anatomy
Qualifications: BSc(Hons) PhD(Tas)
Research summary: The role of anti-Mullerian hormone in female reproduction

Research

Dr Pankhurst’s research investigates regulation of ovarian follicle development and the quality of the oocyte (egg) within. The role that Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) plays in this process is a key focus of the laboratory. AMH is secreted in an inactive form and the current aim is to determine how proAMH (the inactive precursor of AMH) is converted to AMHN,C in the extracellular environment.

The enzymes that convert proAMH to AMHN,C are expressed in theca cells, which reside in a different location to the cells that produce AMH (granulosa cells). AMH plays roles in regulating the rate of depletion of the ovarian reserve (egg supply) and ovulation, hence finding out how and where AMH becomes activated is essential to understanding these processes.

Other research projects investigate why the depletion of the ovarian reserve needs a regulator such as AMH. Rapid ovarian reserve depletion is thought to be a key determinant of the age of onset of age-related infertility in females. The research utilises human, animal and ovary culture experiments to improve our understanding of reproductive biology and female infertility.

Potential PhD projects:

Determination of the location of AMH-activating enzyme activity in the ovary using live-imaging of mouse ovaries and sampling of AMH in human ovaries.
Investigation of the molecular pathways by which AMH inhibits primordial follicle activation. The project will next generation sequencing to investigate molecular pathways that are induced when primordial follicles are exposed to AMH.
Investigation of the relationship between primordial follicle counts (the ovarian reserve) and fertility in females.

This research is currently funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand.

Publications

Richard, S., Zhou, Y., Jasoni, C. L., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2024). Ovarian follicle size or growth rate can both be determinants of ovulatory follicle selection in mice. Biology of Reproduction, 110(1), 127-136. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioad134 Journal - Research Article

Pankhurst, M. (2023). Anti-Müllerian hormone regulates organ-size in the ovary. Proceedings of the ESA-SRB and ENSA Annual Scientific Meeting. 134. Retrieved from https://www.endocrinesociety.org.au Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Richard, S., Anderson, N. J., Zhou, Y., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2023). Mouse primary follicles experience slow growth rates after activation and progressive increases that influence the duration of the primary follicle phase. Biology of Reproduction, ioad095. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioad095 Journal - Research Article

Zhou, Y., Scott, K. L., Quin, E., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2023). Serum anti-Müllerian hormone is an effective indicator of antral follicle counts but not primordial follicle counts. Endocrinology, 164(8), bqad098. doi: 10.1210/endocr/bqad098 Journal - Research Article

Evans, A., Pankhurst, M., Evans, K., & Pena, A. (2022). Anti-Müllerian hormone and leutinising hormone to follicle stimulating hormone ratio in the diagnosis of adolescent girls with polycystic ovarian syndrome. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 62(Suppl. 1), (pp. 22-23). doi: 10.1111/ajo.13631 Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

2024

Journal - Research Article

2023

Journal - Research Article

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

2022

Journal - Research Article

Zhou, Y., Richard, S., Batchelor, N. J., Oorschot, D. E., Anderson, G. M., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2022). Anti-Müllerian hormone-mediated preantral follicle atresia is a key determinant of antral follicle count in mice. Human Reproduction, 37(11), 2635-2645. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deac204

Walters, K. A., Moreno-Asso, A., Stepto, N. K., Pankhurst, M. W., Rodriguez Paris, V., & Rodgers, R. J. (2022). Key signalling pathways underlying the aetiology of polycystic ovary syndrome. Journal of Endocrinology, 255, R1-R26. doi: 10.1530/JOE-22-0059

Zhou, Y., Neyt, C., Batchelor, N. J., Kelley, R. L., Jaafar Amsak, K., Anderson, G. M., Oorschot, D. E., Jasoni, C. L., Girling, J. E., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2022). Fetal resorption coincides with dysregulated LH secretion in AMH-overexpressing mice. Journal of Endocrinology, 253(2), 53-62. doi: 10.1530/joe-21-0430

Pankhurst, M. W., Dillingham, P. W., & Peña, A. S. (2022). Proteolytic activation of anti-Müllerian hormone is suppressed in adolescent girls. Endocrine, 76, 189-197. doi: 10.1007/s12020-021-02955-z

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Richard, S., Zhou, Y., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2022). Dominant follicle selection in mice. Proceedings of the joint ESA-SRB-APEG-NZSE Annual Scientific Meeting. 258. Retrieved from https://www.esa-srb-apeg-nzse.org

Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

Richard, S., Anderson, N. J., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2022, August-September). The developmental time frame and patterns of growth in early ovarian follicle development. Poster session presented at the 16th New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Zhou, Y., Richard, S., Batchelor, N. J., Oorschot, D. E., Anderson, G. M., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2022, August-September). Anti-Müllerian hormone-mediated preantral follicle atresia is a key determinant of antral follicle counts in mice. Verbal presentation at the 16th New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.

Camon, C., Stout, M., Campbell, R., & Pankhurst, M. (2022, August-September). Neuronal estrogen signalling in metabolic health and ageing. Verbal presentation at the 16th New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.

Zhou, Y., Neyt, C., Batchelor, N. J., Jaafar Amsak, K., Anderson, G. M., Kelley, R., Jasoni, C. L., Girling, J. E., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2022, August-September). AMH modulates luteinising hormone secretion during pregnancy in a mouse miscarriage model. Verbal presentation at the 16th New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.

2021

Journal - Research Article

Riepsamen, A. H., Donoghoe, M. W., Baerwald, A., Pankhurst, M. W., Lien, S., Chong, Y. H., … Gilchrist, R. B. (2021). Exploratory analysis of serum concentrations of oocyte biomarkers growth differentiation factor 9 and bone morphogenetic protein 15 in ovulatory women across the menstrual cycle. Fertility & Sterility, 116(2), 546-557. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2021.02.001

Pankhurst, M. W., de Kat, A. C., Jones, S., Broekmans, F. J. M., & Wheeler, B. J. (2021). Serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels in women are unstable in the postpartum period but return to normal within 5 months: A longitudinal study. Endocrine, 71, 225-232. doi: 10.1007/s12020-020-02491-2

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Riepsamen, A. H., Donoghoe, M. W., Baerwald, A., Pankhurst, M. W., Lien, S., Chong, Y. H., … Gilchrist, R. B. (2021). Serum concentrations of GDF9 and BMP15 across the menstrual cycle. Journal of the Endocrine Society, 5(Suppl. 1), (pp. A734-A735). doi: 10.1210/jendso/bvab048.1494

2020

Journal - Research Article

Peigné, M., Pigny, P., Pankhurst, M. W., Drumez, E., Loyens, A., Dewailly, D., … Giacobini, P. (2020). The proportion of cleaved anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is higher in the serum but not in the follicular fluid of obese women independently of polycystic ovary syndrome. Reproductive BioMedicine Online, 41(6), 1112-1121. doi: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2020.07.020

Guo, R., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2020). Accelerated ovarian reserve depletion in female anti-Müllerian hormone knockout mice has no effect on lifetime fertility. Biology of Reproduction, 102(4), 915-922. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioz227

Journal - Research Other

Matsuzaki, S., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2020). Hyperactivation of dormant primordial follicles in ovarian endometrioma patients. Reproduction, 160, R145-R153. doi: 10.1530/REP-20-0265

2019

Journal - Research Article

Holland, S., Prescott, M., Pankhurst, M., & Campbell, R. E. (2019). The influence of maternal androgen excess on the male reproductive axis. Scientific Reports, 9, 18908. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-55436-9

Journal - Research Other

Bromfield, E. G., Dowland, S. N., Dunleavy, J. E. M., Dunning, K. R., Holland, O. J., Houston, B. J., Pankhurst, M. W., … Bertoldo, M. J. (2019). Fifty years of reproductive biology in Australia: Highlights from the 50th Annual Meeting of the Society for Reproductive Biology (SRB). Reproduction, Fertility & Development, 31, 829-836. doi: 10.1071/RD18436

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Pankhurst, M. W., & Wheeler, B. J. (2019, September). Changes in anti-Müllerian hormone levels during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Verbal presentation at the Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.

2018

Journal - Research Article

Pankhurst, M. W., Kelley, R. L., Sanders, R. L., Woodcock, S. R., Oorschot, D. E., & Batchelor, N. J. (2018). Anti-Müllerian hormone overexpression restricts preantral ovarian follicle survival. Journal of Endocrinology, 237(2), 153-163. doi: 10.1530/joe-18-0005

McLennan, I. S., Koishi, K., Batchelor, N. J., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2018). Mice with either diminished or elevated levels of anti-Müllerian hormone have decreased litter sizes. Biology of Reproduction, 98(1), 54-62. doi: 10.1093/biolre/iox151

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Pankhurst, M. W., Kelley, R. L., Sanders, R. L., Woodcock, S. R., Oorschot, D. E., & Batchelor, N. J. (2018, November). Why does anti-Müllerian hormone slow the depletion of eggs in the ovary? Verbal presentation at the Women’s Wellbeing Symposium, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Pankhurst, M. W. (2018, March). Altered preantral follicle survival and miscarriage in mice with transgenic AMH overexpression. Verbal presentation at the Endocrine Society's 100th Annual Meeting and Expo (ENDO2018), Chicago, USA.

2017

Journal - Research Article

Pankhurst, M. W., Shorakae, S., Rodgers, R. J., Teedee, H. J., & Moran, L. J. (2017). Efficacy of predictive models for polycystic ovary syndrome using serum levels of two antimüllerian hormone isoforms (proAMH and AMH_N,C). Fertility & Sterility, 108(5), 851-857. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2017.08.012

Dennis, N. A., Houghton, L. A., Pankhurst, M. W., Harper, M. J., & McLennan, I. S. (2017). Acute supplementation with high dose Vitamin D3 increases serum anti-Müllerian hormone in young women. Nutrients, 9, 719. doi: 10.3390/nu9070719

Kawagishi, Y., Pankhurst, M. W., Nakatani, Y., & McLennan, I. S. (2017). Anti-Müllerian hormone signalling is influenced by Follistatin 288, but not 14 other transforming growth factor beta superfamily regulators. Molecular Reproduction & Development, 84(7), 626-637. doi: 10.1002/mrd.22828

Chong, Y. H., Pankhurst, M. W., & McLennan, I. S. (2017). The testicular hormones AMH, InhB, INSL₃, and testosterone can be independently deficient in older men. Journals of Gerontology Series A, 72(4), 548-553. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glw143

Journal - Research Other

Pankhurst, M. W. (2017). A putative role for anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) in optimising ovarian reserve expenditure. Journal of Endocrinology, 233(1), R1-R13. doi: 10.1530/joe-16-0522

McLennan, I. S., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2017). Is the understanding of AMH being confounded by study designs that do not adequately reflect that it is an atypical hormone? Human Reproduction, 32(1), 14-17. doi: 10.1093/humrep/dew305

Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles

McLennan, I. S., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2017). Reply: Vitamin D and ovarian reserve: Making clinical decisions. Human Reproduction, 32(5), 1139. doi: 10.1093/humrep/dex046

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Chong, Y. H., Pankhurst, M., & McLennan, I. (2017). Circulating levels of anti-Mllerian hormone negatively associate with cognition in more older men. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 36(Suppl. 2), (pp. 25-26). doi: 10.1111/ajag.12419

Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

Woodcock, S., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2017, September). Mitochondrial DNA content in oocytes from transgenic AMH overexpressing mice. Poster session presented at the Queenstown Molecular Biology (QMB) Meetings, Queenstown, New Zealand.

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Pankhurst, M. W., Kelly, R. L., Sanders, R. L., & Batchelor, N. J. (2017, September). Overexpression of AMH inhibits secondary ovarian follicle development in vivo. Verbal presentation at the Queenstown Molecular Biology (QMB) Meetings, Queenstown, New Zealand.

2016

Chapter in Book - Research

McLennan, I. S., Chong, Y. H., Kawagishi, Y., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2016). A critical evaluation of whether criculating anti-Müllerian hormone is a hormone in adults, with special reference to its putative roles in men. In D. B. Seifer & R. Tal (Eds.), Anti-Müllerian hormone: Biology, role in ovarian function and clinical significance. (pp. 209-225). New York: Nova Science.

Journal - Research Article

Pankhurst, M. W., Clark, C. A., Zarek, J., Laskin, C. A., & McLennan, I. S. (2016). Changes in circulating ProAMH and total AMH during healthy pregnancy and post-partum: A longitudinal study. PLoS ONE, 11(9), e0162509. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162509

Pankhurst, M. W., & Chong, Y. H. (2016). Variation in circulating antimüllerian hormone precursor during the periovulatory and acute postovulatory phases of the human ovarian cycle. Fertility & Sterility, 106(5), 1238-1243. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.06.010

Pankhurst, M. W., Chong, Y. H., & McLennan, I. S. (2016). Relative levels of the proprotein and cleavage-activated form of circulating human anti-Müllerian hormone are sexually dimorphic and variable during the life cycle. Physiological Reports, 4(9), e12783. doi: 10.14814/phy2.12783

Pankhurst, M. W., Leathart, B.-L. A., Batchelor, N. J., & McLennan, I. S. (2016). The anti-Müllerian hormone precursor (proAMH) is not converted to the receptor-competent form (AMH_N,C) in the circulating blood of mice. Endocrinology, 157(4), 1622-1629. doi: 10.1210/en.2015-1834

Pankhurst, M. W., & McLennan, I. S. (2016). A specific immunoassay for proAMH, the uncleaved proprotein precursor of anti-Müllerian hormone. Molecular & Cellular Endocrinology, 419, 165-171. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.10.013

Journal - Research Other

McLennan, I. S., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2016). Methodological considerations in measuring different AMH cleavage forms using ELISA: Validity of proAMH ELISA. Molecular Human Reproduction, 22(5), 373. doi: 10.1093/molehr/gaw021

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Pankhurst, M. W., Rodgers, R. J., McLennan, I. S., Teede, H. J., & Moran, L. J. (2016, November). Relative levels of anti-Mullerian hormone precursor (proAMH) and active form (AMN_N,C ) are altered in women with PCOS. Verbal presentation at the Androgen Excess & Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Society (AE-PCOS) 14th Annual Meeting, Lorne, Australia.

Pankhurst, M. W., Batchelor, N. J., & McLennan, I. S. (2016, August). Transgenic overexpression of AMH reduces female fertility. Verbal presentation at the Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Nelson, New Zealand.

2015

Journal - Research Article

Chong, Y. H., Pankhurst, M. W., & McLennan, I. S. (2015). The daily profiles of circulating AMH and INSL3 in men are distinct from the other testicular hormones, Inhibin B and testosterone. PLoS ONE, 10(7), e0133637. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133637

McLennan, I. S., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2015). Anti-Müllerian hormone is a gonadal cytokine with two circulating forms and cryptic actions. Journal of Endocrinology, 226, R45-R57. doi: 10.1530/joe-15-0206

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Pankhurst, M. W., Batchelor, N. J., & McLennan, I. S. (2015). Transgenic overexpression of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) causes miscarriage in adult mice. Human Reproduction, 30(Suppl. 1), (pp. i181). [Abstract]

2014

Journal - Research Article

Pankhurst, M. W., Chong, Y. H., & McLennan, I. S. (2014). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measurements of antimüllerian hormone (AMH) in human blood are a composite of the uncleaved and bioactive cleaved forms of AMH. Fertility & Sterility, 101(3), 846-850. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.12.009

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Kawagishi, Y., Pankhurst, M. W., & McLennan, I. S. (2014). Is AMH signaling modulated to TGFB superfamily binding proteins? Proceedings of the American Society for Cell Biology and International Federation for Cell Biology (ASCB/IFCB) Annual Meeting. ASCB. Retrieved from http://ascb.org/past-annual-meetings-2/

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

McLennan, I. S., Kawagishi, Y., & Pankhurst, M. W. (2014, November). Do AMH and the BMPs combine to induce context dependent sex biases? Plenary presentation at the 4th Australian Sex Summit, Kalorama, Australia.

2013

Journal - Research Article

Pankhurst, M. W., & McLennan, I. S. (2013). Human blood contains both the uncleaved precursor of anti-Müllerian hormone and a complex of the NH₂- and COOH-terminal peptides. American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology & Metabolism, 305, E1241-E1247. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00395.2013

2012

Journal - Research Article

Pankhurst, M. W., Gell, D. A., Butler, C. W., Kirkcaldie, M. T. K., West, A. K., & Chung, R. S. (2012). Metallothionein (MT) -I and MT-II expression are induced and cause zinc sequestration in the liver after brain injury. PLoS ONE, 7(2), e31185. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031185

Pankhurst, M. W., & McLennan, I. S. (2012). Inhibin B and anti-Müllerian hormone/Müllerian-inhibiting substance may contribute to the male bias in autism. Translational Psychiatry, 2, e148. doi: 10.1038/tp.2012.72

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Pankhurst, M. W., & McLennan, I. S. (2012). Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) in human blood consists of both the uncleaved, inert (proAMH), and cleaved, receptor-binding (AMH_N,C) forms. Proceedings of the Endocrine Society of Australia and the Society for Reproductive Biology (ESA-SRB) Annual Scientific Meeting. Retrieved from http://esa-srb-2013.p.asnevents.com.au/schedule/abstract/7445

Pankhurst, M. W., & McLennan, I. S. (2012). Hormones in autism: The other side of the testes. In B. Leitch & J. Shemmell (Eds.), Proceedings of the 30th International Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research. 30, (pp. 71). AWCBR. Retrieved from http://psy.otago.ac.nz/awcbr/Abstracts/Abstracts2012.html

2011

Journal - Research Article

Pankhurst, M. W., Bennett, W., Kirkcaldie, M. T. K., West, A. K., & Chung, R. S. (2011). Increased circulating leukocyte numbers and altered macrophage phenotype correlate with the altered immune response to brain injury in metallothionein (MT) -l/ll null mutant mice. Journal of Neuroinflammation, 8, 172. doi: 10.1186/1742-2094-8-172

Awarded Doctoral Degree

Pankhurst, M. W. (2011). Immune system modulation in the brain injury of the metallothionein-I/II null mutant mouse (PhD). University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia. 170p. Retrieved from http://eprints.utas.edu.au/11750/1/Pankhurst.pdf

2010

Journal - Research Article

Leung, Y. K. J., Pankhurst, M., Dunlop, S. A., Ray, S., Dittmann, J., Eaton, E. D., … Chung, R. S. (2010). Metallothionein induces a regenerative reactive astrocyte phenotype via JAK/STAT and RhoA signalling pathways. Experimental Neurology, 221, 98-106. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2009.10.006

2009

Journal - Research Article

Chung, R. S., Leung, Y. K., Butler, C. W., Chen, Y., Eaton, E. D., Pankhurst, M. W., … Guillemin, G. J. (2009). Metallothionein treatment attenuates microglial activation and expression of neurotoxic quinolinic acid following traumatic brain injury. Neurotoxicity Research, 15(4), 381-389. doi: 10.1007/s12640-009-9044-y