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Torigoe N, Nagahara M, Nguyen ST, Lin Q, Takebayashi K, Liu B, Aihara M, Taniguchi M, Otoi T. Development of porcine embryos cultured in media irradiated with ultraviolet-C. Reprod Domest Anim 2024; 59:e14520. [PMID: 38268205 DOI: 10.1111/rda.14520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Sterilization of the culture medium using ultraviolet (UV)-C reduces the potential adverse effects of microorganisms and allows for long-term use. In the present study, we investigated the effects of a medium directly irradiated with UV-C prior to in vitro culture on the development and quality of porcine in vitro-fertilized embryos and the free amino acid composition of the culture media. The culture media (porcine zygote medium [PZM-5] and porcine blastocyst medium [PBM]) were irradiated with UV-C at 228 and 260 nm for 1 and 3 days, respectively. Next, the culture media were irradiated with UV-C at 228 nm for 3, 7, or 14 days. After in vitro fertilization, the embryos were cultured in the UV-C-irradiated media for 7 days. Free amino acid levels in culture media irradiated with 228 and 260 nm UV-C for 3 days were analysed. The blastocyst formation rate of embryos cultured in media irradiated with 260 nm UV-C for 3 days was significantly lower than that of embryos cultured in non-irradiated control media. However, 228 nm UV-C irradiation for up to 14 days did not affect blastocyst formation rates and quality in the resulting blastocysts. Moreover, 260 nm UV-C irradiation significantly increased the taurine concentration in both culture media and decreased methionine concentration in the PBM. In conclusion, UV-C irradiation at 228 nm before in vitro culture had no detrimental effects on embryonic development. However, 260 nm UV-C irradiation decreased embryo development and altered the composition of free amino acids in the medium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanaka Torigoe
- Bio-Innovation Research Center, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Faculty of Bioscience and Bioindustry, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Megumi Nagahara
- Bio-Innovation Research Center, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Faculty of Bioscience and Bioindustry, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Suong Thi Nguyen
- Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Qingyi Lin
- Bio-Innovation Research Center, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Faculty of Bioscience and Bioindustry, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Koki Takebayashi
- Bio-Innovation Research Center, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Faculty of Bioscience and Bioindustry, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Bin Liu
- Bio-Innovation Research Center, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Faculty of Bioscience and Bioindustry, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Mutsumi Aihara
- Faculty of Bioscience and Bioindustry, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Masayasu Taniguchi
- Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Takeshige Otoi
- Bio-Innovation Research Center, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Faculty of Bioscience and Bioindustry, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
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2
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Špirková A, Kovaříková V, Šefčíková Z, Pisko J, Kšiňanová M, Koppel J, Fabian D, Čikoš Š. Glutamate can act as a signaling molecule in mouse preimplantation embryos. Biol Reprod 2022; 107:916-927. [PMID: 35746896 PMCID: PMC9562114 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioac126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Free amino acids are present in the natural environment of the preimplantation embryo, and their availability can influence early embryo development. Glutamic acid is one of the amino acids with highest concentrations in female reproductive fluids, and we investigated whether glutamic acid/glutamate can affect preimplantation embryo development by acting through cell membrane receptors. Using RT-PCR, we detected 15 ionotropic glutamate receptor transcripts and 8 metabotropic glutamate receptor transcripts in mouse ovulated oocytes and/or in vivo developed blastocysts. Using immunohistochemistry, we detected expression of two AMPA receptor subunits, three kainate receptor subunits and member 5 metabotropic glutamate receptor protein in blastocysts. Extracellular concentrations of glutamic acid starting at 5 mM impaired mouse blastocyst development, and this fact may be of great practical importance since glutamic acid and its salts (mainly monosodium glutamate) are widely used as food additives. Experiments with glutamate receptor agonists (in combination with gene expression analysis) revealed that specific AMPA receptors (formed from GRIA3 and/or GRIA4 subunits), kainate receptors (formed from GRIK 3 and GRIK 4 or GRIK 5 subunits) and GRM5 glutamate receptor were involved in this effect. The glutamic acid-induced effects were prevented or reduced by pre-treatment of blastocysts with AMPA, kainate and GRM5 receptor antagonists, further confirming the involvement of these receptor types. Our results show that glutamic acid can act as a signaling molecule in preimplantation embryos, exerting its effects through activation of cell membrane receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Špirková
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4-6, 04001 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Veronika Kovaříková
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4-6, 04001 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Šefčíková
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4-6, 04001 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Jozef Pisko
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4-6, 04001 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Martina Kšiňanová
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 840 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Juraj Koppel
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4-6, 04001 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Dušan Fabian
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4-6, 04001 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Štefan Čikoš
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4-6, 04001 Košice, Slovakia
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3
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Zhang T, Zheng Y, Kuang T, Yang L, Jiang H, Wang H, Zhao Y, Han R, Che D. Arginine Regulates Zygotic Genome Activation in Porcine Embryos Under Nutrition Restriction. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:921406. [PMID: 35812864 PMCID: PMC9260689 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.921406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Arginine has a positive effect on pre-implantation development in pigs. However, the exact mechanism by which arginine promotes embryonic development is undefined. Here, single-cell RNA sequencing technology was applied to porcine in vivo pre-implantation embryos from the zygote to morula stage, it was found that that the expression of arginine metabolism-related genes clearly changed from the 2-cell stage to the 4-cell stage, when zygotic genome activation (ZGA) occurs in porcine embryos. Further analysis showed that arginine metabolism-related genes are significantly correlated with key ZGA genes. To determine the function of arginine in porcine embryos during ZGA, the in vitro fertilization embryos were cultured in PZM-3 medium (0.12 mM arginine, Control group), a modified PZM-3 medium (0 mM arginine, Block group) and a modified PZM-3 medium supplemented with arginine (0.12 mM arginine, Block + Arg group). The results showed that the 4-cell arrest rate was significantly increased in the Block group compared to the Control group (P < 0.05). The 4-cell arrest rate in the Block + Arg group was significantly decreased than that in the Block group (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the expression of ZGA marker genes and SIRT1 protein in 4-cell embryos was significantly decreased in the Block group compared to the Control group, and their expression was significantly increased in the Block + Arg group. In addition, we observed that the glutathione (GSH), ATP levels, and lipid droplet contents were significantly increased, and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was decreased in the Block + Arg group compared to the Block group. Compared with Control group, spermine content in culture medium and the mRNA expression of ornithine decarboxylase1 (ODC1) of embryos in the Block group were significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and those in the Block + Arg group were significantly increased compared with the Block group (P < 0.05). Moreover, when difluoromethylornithine (an inhibitor of ODC1) was added to the modified PZM-3 medium supplemented with arginine, the effect of arginine on ZGA was inhibited. In summary, our findings demonstrated that arginine may regulate ZGA under nutrition restriction in porcine embryos by promoting polyamine synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianrui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Production, Product Quality and Security of Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Yingying Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Production, Product Quality and Security of Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Tianya Kuang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Production, Product Quality and Security of Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Lianyu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Production, Product Quality and Security of Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Hailong Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Production, Product Quality and Security of Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Heming Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Liver Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Yicheng Zhao
- College of Clinical Medicine, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Rui Han
- Key Laboratory of Animal Production, Product Quality and Security of Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
- Rui Han
| | - Dongsheng Che
- Key Laboratory of Animal Production, Product Quality and Security of Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
- *Correspondence: Dongsheng Che
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Utsunomiya T, Yao T, Itoh H, Kai Y, Kumasako Y, Setoguchi M, Nakagata N, Abe H, Ishikawa M, Kyono K, Shibahara H, Tsutsumi O, Terada Y, Fujii S, Yanagida K, Yokoyama M, Niimura S, Endo T, Fukuda Y, Inoue M, Kono T, Kuji N, Tawara F, Yoshida H, Yokota Y, Tada Y. Creation, effects on embryo quality, and clinical outcomes of a new embryo culture medium with 31 optimized components derived from human oviduct fluid: A prospective multicenter randomized trial. Reprod Med Biol 2022; 21:e12459. [PMID: 35431648 PMCID: PMC8999156 DOI: 10.1002/rmb2.12459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Tatsuma Yao
- Research and Development Center Fuso Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. Osaka Japan
| | | | | | | | | | - Naomi Nakagata
- Centre for Animal Resources and Development Kumamoto University Kumamoto Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Abe
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering Yamagata University Yamagata Japan
| | | | | | - Hiroaki Shibahara
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hyogo College of Medicine Hyogo Japan
| | | | - Yukihiro Terada
- Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine Akita University Akita Japan
| | | | - Kaoru Yanagida
- Reproduction Centre International University of Health and Welfare Tochigi Japan
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Tomohiro Kono
- Faculty of Applied Biosciences Tokyo University of Agriculture Tokyo Japan
| | - Naoaki Kuji
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Tokyo Medical University Tokyo Japan
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Chen PR, Redel BK, Kerns KC, Spate LD, Prather RS. Challenges and Considerations during In Vitro Production of Porcine Embryos. Cells 2021; 10:cells10102770. [PMID: 34685749 PMCID: PMC8535139 DOI: 10.3390/cells10102770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetically modified pigs have become valuable tools for generating advances in animal agriculture and human medicine. Importantly, in vitro production and manipulation of embryos is an essential step in the process of creating porcine models. As the in vitro environment is still suboptimal, it is imperative to examine the porcine embryo culture system from several angles to identify methods for improvement. Understanding metabolic characteristics of porcine embryos and considering comparisons with other mammalian species is useful for optimizing culture media formulations. Furthermore, stressors arising from the environment and maternal or paternal factors must be taken into consideration to produce healthy embryos in vitro. In this review, we progress stepwise through in vitro oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryo culture in pigs to assess the status of current culture systems and address points where improvements can be made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula R. Chen
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | | | - Karl C. Kerns
- Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Lee D. Spate
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
- National Swine Resource and Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Randall S. Prather
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
- National Swine Resource and Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
- Correspondence:
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6
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Leese HJ, McKeegan PJ, Sturmey RG. Amino Acids and the Early Mammalian Embryo: Origin, Fate, Function and Life-Long Legacy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:9874. [PMID: 34574797 PMCID: PMC8467587 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18189874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amino acids are now recognised as having multiple cellular functions in addition to their traditional role as constituents of proteins. This is well-illustrated in the early mammalian embryo where amino acids are now known to be involved in intermediary metabolism, as energy substrates, in signal transduction, osmoregulation and as intermediaries in numerous pathways which involve nitrogen metabolism, e.g., the biosynthesis of purines, pyrimidines, creatine and glutathione. The amino acid derivative S-adenosylmethionine has emerged as a universal methylating agent with a fundamental role in epigenetic regulation. Amino acids are now added routinely to preimplantation embryo culture media. This review examines the routes by which amino acids are supplied to the early embryo, focusing on the role of the oviduct epithelium, followed by an outline of their general fate and function within the embryo. Functions specific to individual amino acids are then considered. The importance of amino acids during the preimplantation period for maternal health and that of the conceptus long term, which has come from the developmental origins of health and disease concept of David Barker, is discussed and the review concludes by considering the potential utility of amino acid profiles as diagnostic of embryo health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry J. Leese
- Centre for Atherothrombosis and Metabolic Disease, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK;
| | - Paul J. McKeegan
- Centre for Anatomical and Human Sciences, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK;
| | - Roger G. Sturmey
- Centre for Atherothrombosis and Metabolic Disease, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK;
- Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, The University of Manchester, St Mary’s Hospital, Manchester M13 9WL, UK
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7
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Lavanya M, Selvaraju S, Krishnappa B, Krishnaswamy N, Nagarajan G, Kumar H. Microenvironment of the male and female reproductive tracts regulate sperm fertility: Impact of viscosity, pH, and osmolality. Andrology 2021; 10:92-104. [PMID: 34420258 DOI: 10.1111/andr.13102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Terminally differentiated mammalian sperm are exposed to gradients of viscosity, pH, and osmolality both in the male and female reproductive tract during their perilous journey to quest the ovum. The complex physicochemical factors play an integral role in preparing sperm for the fertilization process. OBJECTIVES To elucidate the influence of the reproductive tract microenvironment especially viscosity, pH, and osmolality in regulating sperm functional and fertilization competence. MATERIALS AND METHODS The data used in this review were collected from the research papers and online databases focusing on the influence of viscosity, pH, and osmolality on sperm function. DISCUSSION The gradients of viscosity, pH, and osmolality exist across various segments of the male and female reproductive tract. The changes in the viscosity create a physical barrier, pH aid in capacitation and hyperactivation, and the osmotic stress selects a progressive sperm subpopulation for accomplishing fertilization. The sperm function tests are developed based on the concept that the male genotype is the major contributor to the reproductive outcome. However, recent studies demonstrate the significance of sperm genotype-environment interactions that are essentially contributing to reproductive success. Hence, it is imperative to assess the impact of physicochemical stresses and the adaptive ability of the terminally differentiated sperm, which in turn would improve the outcome of the assisted reproductive technologies and male fertility assessment. CONCLUSION Elucidating the influence of the reproductive tract microenvironment on sperm function provides newer insights into the procedures that need to be adopted for selecting fertile males for breeding, and ejaculates for the assisted reproductive technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maharajan Lavanya
- Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Animal Physiology Division, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, India.,Division of Animal Reproduction, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, 243122, India
| | - Sellappan Selvaraju
- Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Animal Physiology Division, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, India
| | - Balaganur Krishnappa
- Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Animal Physiology Division, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, India
| | | | - Govindasamy Nagarajan
- Southern Regional Research Centre under ICAR-Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute (ICAR-CSWRI), Kodaikanal, India
| | - Harendra Kumar
- Division of Animal Reproduction, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, 243122, India
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8
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Shi M, Sirard MA. Transcriptome and epigenome analysis of porcine embryos from non-esterified fatty acid-exposed oocytes. Domest Anim Endocrinol 2021; 76:106605. [PMID: 33631700 DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2021.106605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates that maternal malnutrition leads to decreased female fertility and dysregulated metabolic homeostasis in offspring. High levels of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) in follicular fluid were reported to be involved in these maternal nutritional effects, but the mechanisms remain unclear. This study explored the mechanisms of action of abnormal NEFA levels during porcine oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM) on early embryo development (blastocysts) using phenotypic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic analysis. The oocytes were treated during IVM with, in addition to the 1% (v/v) porcine follicular fluid in the control group, a combination of 468 μmol/L palmitic acid, 194 μmol/L stearic acid, and 534 μmol/L oleic acid supplemented to North Carolina State University-23 (NCSU-23) maturation medium to achieve a high level of NEFAs. After IVM, oocytes were in vitro fertilized and then cultured in regular conditions for blastocysts. Expanded blastocysts were collected to complete transcriptomic and epigenetic analysis. Macroscopically, high level of NEFAs impaired embryo development by reducing the blastocyst rate. Analysis of the transcriptome revealed that pathways related to inflammation, apoptosis, metabolism, and oxidative stress were the most affected. Moreover, DNA methylation data demonstrated differentially methylated regions in genes related to cellular metabolism and inflammation processes. Therefore, our conclusion is that high level of NEFAs during IVM might affect porcine early embryo development by diminishing blastocyst rate and altering gene expression, especially at the metabolism and cell status levels, which could further decrease the embryo quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Shi
- Centre de recherche en reproduction, développement et santé intergénérationnelle, Faculté des sciences de l'Agriculture et de l'Alimentation, Département des Sciences Animales, Pavillon INAF, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - M-A Sirard
- Centre de recherche en reproduction, développement et santé intergénérationnelle, Faculté des sciences de l'Agriculture et de l'Alimentation, Département des Sciences Animales, Pavillon INAF, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada.
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9
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García-Vázquez FA, Moros-Nicolás C, López-Úbeda R, Rodríguez-Tobón E, Guillén-Martínez A, Ross JW, Luongo C, Matás C, Hernández-Caravaca I, Avilés M, Izquierdo-Rico MJ. Evidence of haptoglobin in the porcine female genital tract during oestrous cycle and its effect on in vitro embryo production. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12041. [PMID: 34103548 PMCID: PMC8187724 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90810-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent evidence supports involvement of the acute phase protein haptoglobin in numerous events during mammalian reproduction. The present study represents an in-depth investigation of haptoglobin expression and secretion in the porcine oviduct and uterus, and assesses its effect on porcine in vitro embryo production. A systematic study was made of sows in different oestrous stages: late follicular, early luteal and late luteal stages. Relative haptoglobin mRNA abundance was quantified by RT-qPCR. In addition, expression of the protein was analysed by immunohistochemistry and the results were complemented by Western-blot and proteomic analyses of the oviductal and uterine fluids. In vitro porcine fertilization and embryo culture were carried out in the presence of haptoglobin. The results indicate that haptoglobin mRNA expression in the porcine oviduct and uterus is most abundant during the late luteal stage of the oestrous cycle. By means of Western blot and proteomic analyses haptoglobin presence was demonstrated in the oviduct epithelium and in the oviductal and uterine fluids in different stages of the oestrous cycle. The addition of haptoglobin during gamete co-incubation had no effect on sperm penetration, monospermy or efficiency rates; however, compared with the control group, blastocyst development was significantly improved when haptoglobin was present (haptoglobin: 64.50% vs. control: 37.83%; p < 0.05). In conclusion, the presence of haptoglobin in the oviduct and uterus of sows at different stages of the oestrous cycle suggests that it plays an important role in the reproduction process. The addition of haptoglobin during in vitro embryo production improved the blastocyst rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco A. García-Vázquez
- grid.10586.3a0000 0001 2287 8496Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain ,grid.452553.0Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain ,CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), Murcia, Spain
| | - Carla Moros-Nicolás
- grid.10586.3a0000 0001 2287 8496Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain ,grid.452553.0Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain ,CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), Murcia, Spain
| | - Rebeca López-Úbeda
- grid.10586.3a0000 0001 2287 8496Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain ,grid.452553.0Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain ,CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), Murcia, Spain
| | - Ernesto Rodríguez-Tobón
- grid.10586.3a0000 0001 2287 8496Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain ,CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), Murcia, Spain
| | - Ascensión Guillén-Martínez
- grid.10586.3a0000 0001 2287 8496Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain ,grid.452553.0Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain ,CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), Murcia, Spain
| | - Jason W. Ross
- grid.34421.300000 0004 1936 7312Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA USA
| | - Chiara Luongo
- grid.10586.3a0000 0001 2287 8496Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain ,CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), Murcia, Spain
| | - Carmen Matás
- grid.10586.3a0000 0001 2287 8496Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain ,grid.452553.0Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain ,CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), Murcia, Spain
| | - Iván Hernández-Caravaca
- grid.10586.3a0000 0001 2287 8496Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain ,grid.452553.0Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain ,CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), Murcia, Spain
| | - Manuel Avilés
- grid.10586.3a0000 0001 2287 8496Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain ,grid.452553.0Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain ,CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), Murcia, Spain
| | - Mª José Izquierdo-Rico
- grid.10586.3a0000 0001 2287 8496Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain ,grid.452553.0Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain ,CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), Murcia, Spain
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10
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Tscherner AK, Macaulay AD, Ortman CS, Baltz JM. Initiation of cell volume regulation and unique cell volume regulatory mechanisms in mammalian oocytes and embryos. J Cell Physiol 2021; 236:7117-7133. [PMID: 33634482 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.30352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The period beginning with the signal for ovulation, when a fully-grown oocyte progresses through meiosis to become a mature egg that is fertilized and develops as a preimplantation embryo, is crucial for healthy development. The early preimplantation embryo is unusually sensitive to cell volume perturbations, with even moderate decreases in volume or dysregulation of volume-regulatory mechanisms resulting in developmental arrest. To prevent this, early embryos possess mechanisms of cell volume control that are apparently unique to them. These rely on the accumulation of glycine and betaine (N, N, N-trimethylglycine) as organic osmolytes-compounds that can provide intracellular osmotic support without the deleterious effects of inorganic ions. Preimplantation embryos also have the same mechanisms as somatic cells that mediate rapid responses to deviations in cell volume, which rely on inorganic ion transport. Both the unique, embryo-specific mechanisms that use glycine and betaine and the inorganic ion-dependent mechanisms undergo major changes during meiotic maturation and preimplantation development. The most profound changes occur immediately after ovulation is triggered. Before this, oocytes cannot regulate their volume, since they are strongly attached to their rigid extracellular matrix shell, the zona pellucida. After ovulation is triggered, the oocyte detaches from the zona pellucida and first becomes capable of independent volume regulation. A complex set of developmental changes in each cell volume-regulatory mechanism continues through egg maturation and preimplantation development. The unique cell volume-regulatory mechanisms in eggs and preimplantation embryos and the developmental changes they undergo appear critical for normal healthy embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison K Tscherner
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Angus D Macaulay
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chyna S Ortman
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jay M Baltz
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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11
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Chi HJ, Park JS, Yoo CS, Kwak SJ, Son HJ, Kim SG, Sim CH, Lee KH, Koo DB. Effect of evaporation-induced osmotic changes in culture media in a dry-type incubator on clinical outcomes in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles. Clin Exp Reprod Med 2020; 47:284-292. [PMID: 33227188 PMCID: PMC7711104 DOI: 10.5653/cerm.2020.03552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study investigated whether adding outer-well medium to inhibit osmotic changes in culture media in a dry-type incubator improved the clinical outcomes of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles. METHODS In culture dishes, the osmotic changes in media (20 µL)-covered oil with or without outer-well medium (humid or dry culture conditions, respectively) were compared after 3 days of incubation in a dry-type incubator. One-step (Origio) and G1/G2 (Vitrolife) media were used. RESULTS The osmotic changes in the dry culture condition (308 mOsm) were higher than in the humid culture conditions (285-290 mOsm) after 3 days of incubation. In day 3 IVF-ET cycles, although the pregnancy rate did not significantly differ between the dry (46.2%) and humid culture (52.2%) groups, the rates of abortion and ongoing pregnancy were significantly better in the humid culture group (2.3% and 50.2%, respectively) than in the dry culture group (8.3% and 37.8%, respectively, p<0.05). In day 5 IVF-ET cycles, the abortion rate was significantly lower in the humid culture group (2.2%) than in the dry culture group (25.0%, p<0.01), but no statistically significant difference was observed in the rates of clinical and ongoing pregnancy between the dry (50.0% and 25.0%, respectively) and humid culture groups (59.5% and 57.3%, respectively) because of the small number of cycles. CONCLUSION Hyperosmotic changes in media occurred in a dry-type incubator by evaporation, although the medium was covered with oil. These osmotic changes were efficiently inhibited by supplementation of outer-well medium, which resulted in improved pregnancy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Deog-Bon Koo
- Institute of Infertility, Daegu University, Daegu, Korea
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12
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Luongo C, González-Brusi L, Cots-Rodríguez P, Izquierdo-Rico MJ, Avilés M, García-Vázquez FA. Sperm Proteome after Interaction with Reproductive Fluids in Porcine: From the Ejaculation to the Fertilization Site. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21176060. [PMID: 32842715 PMCID: PMC7570189 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ejaculated sperm are exposed to different environments before encountering the oocyte. However, how the sperm proteome changes during this transit remains unsolved. This study aimed to identify proteomic changes in boar sperm after incubation with male (seminal plasma, SP) and/or female (uterine fluid, UF; and oviductal fluid, OF) reproductive fluids. The following experimental groups were analyzed: (1) SP: sperm + 20% SP; (2) UF: sperm + 20% UF; (3) OF: sperm + 20% OF; (4) SP + UF: sperm + 20% SP + 20% UF; and (5) SP+OF: sperm + 20% SP + 20% OF. The proteome analysis, performed by HPLC-MS/MS, allowed the identification of 265 proteins. A total of 69 proteins were detected in the UF, SP, and SP + UF groups, and 102 proteins in the OF, SP, and SP + OF groups. Our results showed a higher number of proteins when sperm were incubated with only one fluid than when they were co-incubated with two fluids. Additionally, the number of sperm-interacting proteins from the UF group was lower than the OF group. In conclusion, the interaction of sperm with reproductive fluids alters its proteome. The description of sperm-interacting proteins in porcine species after co-incubation with male and/or female reproductive fluids may be useful to understand sperm transport, selection, capacitation, or fertilization phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Luongo
- Department of Physiology, Veterinary School, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education and Research (Campus Mare Nostrum), University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain;
| | - Leopoldo González-Brusi
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain; (L.G.-B.); (P.C.-R.); (M.J.I.-R.)
| | - Paula Cots-Rodríguez
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain; (L.G.-B.); (P.C.-R.); (M.J.I.-R.)
| | - Mª José Izquierdo-Rico
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain; (L.G.-B.); (P.C.-R.); (M.J.I.-R.)
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia, IMIB-Arrixaca, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Manuel Avilés
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain; (L.G.-B.); (P.C.-R.); (M.J.I.-R.)
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia, IMIB-Arrixaca, 30100 Murcia, Spain
- Correspondence: (M.A.); (F.A.G.-V.)
| | - Francisco Alberto García-Vázquez
- Department of Physiology, Veterinary School, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education and Research (Campus Mare Nostrum), University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain;
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia, IMIB-Arrixaca, 30100 Murcia, Spain
- Correspondence: (M.A.); (F.A.G.-V.)
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13
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Simintiras CA, Sánchez JM, McDonald M, Martins T, Binelli M, Lonergan P. Biochemical characterization of progesterone-induced alterations in bovine uterine fluid amino acid and carbohydrate composition during the conceptus elongation window†. Biol Reprod 2020; 100:672-685. [PMID: 30388203 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy establishment in cattle is contingent on conceptus elongation-a fundamental developmental event coinciding with the time during which most pregnancies fail. Elongation in vivo is directly driven by uterine secretions, indirectly influenced by systemic progesterone concentrations, and has yet to be recapitulated in vitro. To better understand the microenvironment evolved to facilitate this phenomenon, the amino acid and carbohydrate composition of uterine fluid was interrogated using high-throughput metabolomics on days 12, 13, and 14 of the estrous cycle from heifers with normal and high circulating progesterone. A total of 99 biochemicals (79 amino acids and 20 carbohydrates) were consistently identified, of which 31 showed a day by progesterone interaction. Fructose and mannitol/sorbitol did not exhibit a day by progesterone interaction, but displayed the greatest individual fluctuations (P ≤ 0.05) with respective fold increases of 18.39 and 28.53 in high vs normal progesterone heifers on day 12, and increases by 10.70-fold and 14.85-fold in the uterine fluid of normal progesterone animals on day 14 vs day 12. Moreover, enrichment analyses revealed that the phenylalanine, glutathione, polyamine, and arginine metabolic pathways were among the most affected by day and progesterone. In conclusion, progesterone had a largely stabilizing effect on amino acid flux, and identified biochemicals of likely importance to conceptus elongation initiation include arginine, fructose, glutamate, and mannitol/sorbitol.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - José M Sánchez
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Michael McDonald
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Thiago Martins
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Department of Animal Reproduction, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mario Binelli
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Pat Lonergan
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
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14
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Walsh SC, Miles JR, Yao L, Broeckling CD, Rempel LA, Wright-Johnson EC, Pannier AK. Metabolic compounds within the porcine uterine environment are unique to the type of conceptus present during the early stages of blastocyst elongation. Mol Reprod Dev 2019; 87:174-190. [PMID: 31840336 PMCID: PMC7003770 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to identify metabolites within the porcine uterine milieu during the early stages of blastocyst elongation. At Days 9, 10, or 11 of gestation, reproductive tracts of White cross‐bred gilts (n = 38) were collected immediately following harvest and flushed with Roswell Park Memorial Institute‐1640 medium. Conceptus morphologies were assessed from each pregnancy and corresponding uterine flushings were assigned to one of five treatment groups based on these morphologies: (a) uniform spherical (n = 8); (b) heterogeneous spherical and ovoid (n = 8); (c) uniform ovoid (n = 8); (d) heterogeneous ovoid and tubular (n = 8); and (e) uniform tubular (n = 6). Uterine flushings from these pregnancies were submitted for nontargeted profiling by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)–MS techniques. Unsupervised multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) was performed using pcaMethods and univariate analysis of variance was performed in R with false discovery rate (FDR) adjustment. PCA analysis of the GC–MS and UPLC–MS data identified 153 and 104 metabolites, respectively. After FDR adjustment of the GC–MS and UPLC–MS data, 38 and 59 metabolites, respectively, differed (p < .05) in uterine flushings from pregnancies across the five conceptus stages. Some metabolites were greater (p < .05) in abundance for uterine flushings containing earlier stage conceptuses (i.e., spherical), such as uric acid, tryptophan, and tyrosine. In contrast, some metabolites were greater (p < .05) in abundance for uterine flushings containing later stage conceptuses (i.e., tubular), such as creatinine, serine, and urea. These data illustrate several putative metabolites that change within the uterine milieu during early porcine blastocyst elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie C Walsh
- Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska
| | - Jeremy R Miles
- United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Nebraska
| | - Linxing Yao
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Corey D Broeckling
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Lea A Rempel
- United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Nebraska
| | - Elane C Wright-Johnson
- United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Nebraska
| | - Angela K Pannier
- Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska
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15
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In Vitro Culture of Late Stage Pig Embryos in a Chemically Defined Medium, Porcine Blastocyst Medium (PBM). Methods Mol Biol 2019. [PMID: 31230275 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9566-0_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
In vitro production (IVP) of porcine preimplantation embryos is an important technique not only for basic and biomedical research purposes but also for animal biotechnology application such as transgenesis, cloning, and embryo transfer. In this chapter, we demonstrate a superior IVP procedure of porcine embryos derived from cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) of slaughtered pig ovaries which are cultured sequentially in different defined media. Porcine blastocyst medium (PBM) particularly designed for the late stage embryo culture could improve the potential of morulae or blastocysts to develop into hatching and hatched blastocysts with good quality.
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16
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Effect of Glycine and Various Osmolarities of Culture Medium on In VitroDevelopment of Parthenogenesis and Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Embryos in Pigs. JOURNAL OF ANIMAL REPRODUCTION AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.12750/jet.2018.33.4.221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
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17
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Lee J, Lee H, Lee Y, Park B, Elahi F, Lee ST, Park CK, Hyun SH, Lee E. In vitro oocyte maturation in a medium containing reduced sodium chloride improves the developmental competence of pig oocytes after parthenogenesis and somatic cell nuclear transfer. Reprod Fertil Dev 2018; 29:1625-1634. [PMID: 27592715 DOI: 10.1071/rd15488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study investigated the effects of IVM in hypotonic medium containing reduced (61.6mM) NaCl compared with isotonic medium containing 108.0mM NaCl (designated L and N respectively) on oocyte maturation and embryonic development in pigs. IVM culture was divided into four periods at 11-h intervals. Oocytes cultured in N for 33h and then in L for 11h of IVM (N-N-N-L) showed significantly improved (P<0.05) nuclear maturation of oocytes (75.4-79.0% vs 60.2-85.8%) and blastocyst formation (61.5-66.1% vs 45.2-67.5%) after parthenogenesis (PA) compared with other treatments (L-L-L-L, L-L-L-N, L-L-N-L, N-N-L-L, N-N-L-N, L-L-N-L, L-N-N-L and N-L-N-L). Oocytes matured in L-L-L-L and N-N-N-L had an increased (P<0.05) perivitelline space (11.0-12.5 vs 5.5µm) and intraoocyte reduced glutathione (GSH) content (1.39-1.41 vs 1.00 pixels per oocyte) relative to oocytes matured in N-N-N-N. Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos derived from the N-N-N-L treatment had significantly (P<0.05) higher blastocyst formation (53.5%) than embryos derived from Medium-199 (37.4%) and N-N-N-N (41.8%) treatments. Overall, the results demonstrate that maturation of pig oocytes in hypotonic medium with reduced NaCl during the last 11h of IVM increases the developmental competence of oocytes after PA and SCNT by improving the cytoplasmic microenvironment, including an increased GSH content in IVM oocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joohyeong Lee
- Laboratory of Theriogenology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24341, Korea
| | - Hanna Lee
- Laboratory of Theriogenology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24341, Korea
| | - Yongjin Lee
- Laboratory of Theriogenology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24341, Korea
| | - Bola Park
- Laboratory of Theriogenology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24341, Korea
| | - Fazle Elahi
- Laboratory of Theriogenology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24341, Korea
| | - Seung Tae Lee
- Division of Applied Animal Science, College of Animal Life Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24341, Korea
| | - Choon-Keun Park
- Division of Applied Animal Science, College of Animal Life Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24341, Korea
| | - Sang-Hwan Hyun
- Laboratory of Veterinary Embryology and Biotechnology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk 28644, Korea
| | - Eunsong Lee
- Laboratory of Theriogenology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24341, Korea
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18
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Herrick JR, Lyons SM, Greene-Ermisch AF, Broeckling CD, Schoolcraft WB, Krisher RL. A carnivore embryo's perspective on essential amino acids and ammonium in culture medium: effects on the development of feline embryos†. Biol Reprod 2018; 99:1070-1081. [DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jason R Herrick
- Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine, Lone Tree, Colorado, USA
| | - Sarah M Lyons
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | | | - Corey D Broeckling
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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19
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Redel BK, Tessanne KJ, Spate LD, Murphy CN, Prather RS. Arginine increases development of in vitro-produced porcine embryos and affects the protein arginine methyltransferase-dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase-nitric oxide axis. Reprod Fertil Dev 2017; 27:655-66. [PMID: 25765074 DOI: 10.1071/rd14293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2014] [Accepted: 02/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Culture systems promote development at rates lower than the in vivo environment. Here, we evaluated the embryo's transcriptome to determine what the embryo needs during development. A previous mRNA sequencing endeavour found upregulation of solute carrier family 7 (cationic amino acid transporter, y+ system), member 1 (SLC7A1), an arginine transporter, in in vitro- compared with in vivo-cultured embryos. In the present study, we added different concentrations of arginine to our culture medium to meet the needs of the porcine embryo. Increasing arginine from 0.12 to 1.69mM improved the number of embryos that developed to the blastocyst stage. These blastocysts also had more total nuclei compared with controls and, specifically, more trophectoderm nuclei. Embryos cultured in 1.69mM arginine had lower SLC7A1 levels and a higher abundance of messages involved with glycolysis (hexokinase 1, hexokinase 2 and glutamic pyruvate transaminase (alanine aminotransferase) 2) and decreased expression of genes involved with blocking the tricarboxylic acid cycle (pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, isozyme 1) and the pentose phosphate pathway (transaldolase 1). Expression of the protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) genes PRMT1, PRMT3 and PRMT5 throughout development was not affected by arginine. However, the dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 1 (DDAH1) and DDAH2 message was found to be differentially regulated through development, and the DDAH2 protein was localised to the nuclei of blastocysts. Arginine has a positive effect on preimplantation development and may be affecting the nitric oxide-DDAH-PRMT axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany K Redel
- Division of Animal Science, Animal Science Research Center, 920 East Campus Drive, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Kimberly J Tessanne
- Division of Animal Science, Animal Science Research Center, 920 East Campus Drive, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Lee D Spate
- Division of Animal Science, Animal Science Research Center, 920 East Campus Drive, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Clifton N Murphy
- Division of Animal Science, Animal Science Research Center, 920 East Campus Drive, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Randall S Prather
- Division of Animal Science, Animal Science Research Center, 920 East Campus Drive, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
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20
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Direct and Osmolarity-Dependent Effects of Glycine on Preimplantation Bovine Embryos. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159581. [PMID: 27459477 PMCID: PMC4961386 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Concentrations of glycine (Gly) in embryo culture media are often lower (~0.1 mM) than those in oviductal or uterine fluids (≥1.2 mM). The objective of this study was to determine direct and osmolarity-dependent effects of physiological concentrations of Gly on blastocyst formation and hatching, cell allocation to the trophectoderm (TE) and inner cell mass (ICM), and metabolic activity of bovine embryos. In experiment 1, zygotes were cultured with 100 or 120 mM NaCl and 0 or 1 mM Gly for the first 72 h of culture. Blastocyst formation and hatching were improved (P<0.05) when embryos were cultured with 100 compared to 120 mM NaCl. Inclusion of 1 mM Gly improved (P<0.05) blastocyst formation compared to 0 mM Gly, but this effect was only significant (P<0.05) for embryos cultured with 120 mM NaCl, suggesting bovine embryos can utilize Gly as an osmolyte. In experiment 2, embryos were cultured with 0.1, 1.1, 2.1, or 4.1 mM Gly (100 mM NaCl) for the final 96 h of culture. Blastocyst development was not affected (P>0.05) by Gly, but hatching (0.1 mM Gly, 18.2%) was improved (P<0.05) when embryos were cultured with 1.1 (31.4%) or 2.1 (29.4%) mM Gly. Blastocyst, TE, and ICM cell numbers were not affected (P>0.05) by Gly in either experiment. Blastocysts produced alanine, glutamine, pyruvate, and urea and consumed aspartate, but this metabolic profile was not affected (P>0.05) by Gly. In conclusion, Gly (1.0 mM) improves the development of both early and late stage embryos, but beneficial effects are more pronounced for early embryos exposed to elevated osmolarity.
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21
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Redel BK, Spate LD, Lee K, Mao J, Whitworth KM, Prather RS. Glycine supplementation in vitro enhances porcine preimplantation embryo cell number and decreases apoptosis but does not lead to live births. Mol Reprod Dev 2016; 83:246-58. [PMID: 26824641 PMCID: PMC5067679 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Most in vitro culture conditions are less‐than‐optimal for embryo development. Here, we used a transcriptional‐profiling database to identify culture‐induced differences in gene expression in porcine blastocysts compared to in vivo‐produced counterparts. Genes involved in glycine transport (SLC6A9), glycine metabolism (GLDC, GCSH, DLD, and AMT), and serine metabolism (PSAT1, PSPH, and PHGDH) were differentially expressed. Addition of 10 mM glycine to the culture medium (currently containing 0.1 mM) reduced the abundance of SLC6A9 transcript and increased total cell number, primarily in the trophectoderm lineage (P = 0.003); this was likely by decreasing the percentage of apoptotic nuclei. As serine and glycine can be reversibly metabolized by serine hydroxymethyltransferase 2 (SHMT2), we assessed the abundance of SHMT2 transcript as well as its functional role by inhibiting it with aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), a glycine analog, during in vitro culture. Both AMPA supplementation and elevated glycine decreased the mRNA abundance of SHMT2 and tumor protein p53 (TP53), which is activated in response to cellular stress, compared to controls (P ≤ 0.02). On the other hand, mitochondrial activity of blastocysts, mtDNA copy number, and abundance of mitochondria‐related transcripts did not differ between control and 10 mM glycine culture conditions. Despite improvements to these metrics of blastocyst quality, transfer of embryos cultured in 10 mM glycine did not result in pregnancy whereas the transfer of in vitro‐produced embryos cultured in control medium yielded live births. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 83: 246–258, 2016. © 2016 The Authors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany K Redel
- Division of Animal Sciences, Animal Science Research Center, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Lee D Spate
- Division of Animal Sciences, Animal Science Research Center, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Kiho Lee
- Division of Animal Sciences, Animal Science Research Center, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Jiude Mao
- Division of Animal Sciences, Animal Science Research Center, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Kristin M Whitworth
- Division of Animal Sciences, Animal Science Research Center, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Randall S Prather
- Division of Animal Sciences, Animal Science Research Center, Columbia, Missouri
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22
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Gonella-Diaza AM, da Silva Andrade SC, Sponchiado M, Pugliesi G, Mesquita FS, Van Hoeck V, de Francisco Strefezzi R, Gasparin GR, Coutinho LL, Binelli M. Size of the Ovulatory Follicle Dictates Spatial Differences in the Oviductal Transcriptome in Cattle. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0145321. [PMID: 26699362 PMCID: PMC4689418 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In cattle, molecular control of oviduct receptivity to the embryo is poorly understood. Here, we used a bovine model for receptivity based on size of the pre-ovulatory follicle to compare oviductal global and candidate gene transcript abundance on day 4 of the estrous cycle. Growth of the pre-ovulatory follicle (POF) of Nelore (Bos indicus) cows was manipulated to produce two groups: large POF large corpus luteum (CL) group (LF-LCL; greater receptivity) and small POF-small CL group (SF-SCL). Oviductal samples were collected four days after GnRH-induced ovulation. Ampulla and isthmus transcriptome was obtained by RNA-seq, regional gene expression was assessed by qPCR, and PGR and ERa protein distribution was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. There was a greater abundance of PGR and ERa in the oviduct of LF-LCL animals thus indicating a greater availability of receptors and possibly sex steroids stimulated signaling in both regions. Transcriptomic profiles indicated a series of genes associated with functional characteristics of the oviduct that are regulated by the periovulatory sex steroid milieu and that potentially affect oviductal receptivity and early embryo development. They include tissue morphology changes (extra cellular matrix remodeling), cellular changes (proliferation), and secretion changes (growth factors, ions and metal transporters), and were enriched for the genes with increased expression in the LF-LCL group. In conclusion, differences in the periovulatory sex steroid milieu lead to different oviductal gene expression profiles that could modify the oviductal environment to affect embryo survival and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela María Gonella-Diaza
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sónia Cristina da Silva Andrade
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia Animal, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Av Pádua Dias, 11, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Mariana Sponchiado
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Pugliesi
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Veerle Van Hoeck
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Gustavo R. Gasparin
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia Animal, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Av Pádua Dias, 11, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Luiz L. Coutinho
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia Animal, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Av Pádua Dias, 11, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Mario Binelli
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Mito T, Yoshioka K, Noguchi M, Yamashita S, Misumi K, Hoshi T, Hoshi H. Birth of piglets from in vitro–produced porcine blastocysts vitrified and warmed in a chemically defined medium. Theriogenology 2015; 84:1314-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2015.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2015] [Revised: 06/13/2015] [Accepted: 06/13/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Martinez CA, Nohalez A, Cuello C, Vazquez JM, Roca J, Martinez EA, Gil MA. The use of mineral oil during in vitro maturation, fertilization, and embryo culture does not impair the developmental competence of pig oocytes. Theriogenology 2015; 83:693-702. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2014.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Revised: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 11/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Park CH, Jeong YH, Jeong YI, Kwon JW, Shin T, Hyun SH, Jeung EB, Kim NH, Seo SK, Lee CK, Hwang WS. Amino acid supplementation affects imprinted gene transcription patterns in parthenogenetic porcine blastocysts. PLoS One 2014; 9:e106549. [PMID: 25180972 PMCID: PMC4152337 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2013] [Accepted: 08/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
To determine whether exogenous amino acids affect gene transcription patterns in parthenogenetic porcine embryos, we investigated the effects of amino acid mixtures in culture medium. Parthenogenetic embryos were cultured in PZM3 medium under four experimental conditions: 1) control (no amino acids except L-glutamine and taurine); 2) nonessential amino acids (NEAA); 3) essential amino acids (EAA); and 4) NEAA and EAA. The rate of development of embryos to the four-cell stage was not affected by treatment. However, fewer (P<0.05) embryos cultured with EAA (12.8%) reached the blastocyst stage as compared with the control group (25.6%) and NEAA group (30.3%). Based on these findings, we identified genes with altered expression in parthenogenetic embryos exposed to medium with or without EAAs. The results indicated that EAA influenced gene expression patterns, particularly those of imprinted genes (e.g., H19, IGF2R, PEG1, XIST). However, NEAAs did not affect impaired imprinted gene expressions induced by EAA. The results also showed that mechanistic target of rapamycin (MTOR) mRNA expression was significantly increased by EAA alone as compared with control cultures, and that the combined treatment with NEAA and EAA did not differ significantly from those of control cultures. Our results revealed that gene transcription levels in porcine embryos changed differentially depending on the presence of EAA or NEAA. However, the changes in the H19 mRNA observed in the parthenogenetic blastocysts expression level was not related to the DNA methylation status in the IGF2/H19 domain. The addition of exogenous amino acid mixtures affected not only early embryonic development, but also gene transcription levels, particularly those of imprinted genes. However, this study did not reveal how amino acids affect expression of imprinted genes under the culture conditions used. Further studies are thus required to fully evaluate how amino acids affect transcriptional regulation in porcine embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Hun Park
- Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Yeun-Ik Jeong
- Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong-Woo Kwon
- Department of Animal Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Taeyoung Shin
- Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Hwan Hyun
- College of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Eui-Bae Jeung
- College of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Nam-Hyung Kim
- Department of Animal Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Kyo Seo
- Animal Quarantine Division, Gyeonggi-Do, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Kyu Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Major, and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo-Suk Hwang
- Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail:
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Grupen CG. The evolution of porcine embryo in vitro production. Theriogenology 2014; 81:24-37. [PMID: 24274407 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2013.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2013] [Revised: 09/14/2013] [Accepted: 09/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The in vitro production of porcine embryos has presented numerous challenges to researchers over the past four decades. Some of the problems encountered were specific to porcine gametes and embryos and needed the concerted efforts of many to overcome. Gradually, porcine embryo in vitro production systems became more reliable and acceptable rates of blastocyst formation were achieved. Despite the significant improvements, the problem of polyspermic fertilization has still not been adequately resolved and the embryo in vitro culture conditions are still considered to be suboptimal. Whereas early studies focused on increasing our understanding of the reproductive processes involved, the technology evolved to the point where in vitro-matured oocytes and in vitro-produced embryos could be used as research material for developing associated reproductive technologies, such as SCNT and embryo cryopreservation. Today, the in vitro procedures used to mature oocytes and culture embryos are integral to the production of transgenic pigs by SCNT. This review discusses the major achievements, advances, and knowledge gained from porcine embryo in vitro production studies and highlights the future research perspectives of this important technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher G Grupen
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, New South Wales, Australia.
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Miyoshi K, Mizobe Y. Osmolarity- and stage-dependent effects of glycine on parthenogenetic development of pig oocytes. J Reprod Dev 2014; 60:349-54. [PMID: 24990770 PMCID: PMC4219991 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2013-135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The osmolarities of media that are most effective for in vitro culture of mammalian oocytes and embryos are
lower than that of oviductal fluid. Oocytes and embryos can survive the high physiological osmolarity in
vivo perhaps owing to the presence of amino acids such as glycine, which serve as organic osmolytes in the female
reproductive tract. In the present study, the effects of glycine on the parthenogenetic development of pig oocytes were
examined in hypotonic or isotonic media. The results showed that culturing oocytes in isotonic media improved the cleavage
rates (P<0.01) at 2 days in culture but inhibited any further development beyond cleavage when compared with the hypotonic
media. However, addition of 4 mM glycine to the isotonic media resulted in improved blastocyst formation rates compared with
that observed in the hypotonic media (P<0.01), and there was no inhibition of development beyond the cleavage stages in
oocytes. The beneficial effects of glycine were observed only when oocytes were cultured in isotonic media and glycine was
added at day 2 or 3 in culture. The results from the present study indicate that an isotonic medium with glycine is useful
for in vitro culture of pig oocytes and that glycine may protect pig oocytes against the detrimental effects
of increased osmolarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuchika Miyoshi
- Laboratory of Animal Reproduction, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
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Prather RS, Redel BK, Whitworth KM, Zhao MT. Genomic profiling to improve embryogenesis in the pig. Anim Reprod Sci 2014; 149:39-45. [PMID: 24878355 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2014.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2014] [Revised: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decade the technology to characterize transcription during embryogenesis has progressed from estimating a single transcript to a reliable description of the entire transcriptome. Northern blots were followed by sequencing ESTs, quantitative real time PCR, cDNA arrays, custom oligo arrays, and more recently, deep sequencing. The amount of information that can be generated is overwhelming. The challenge now is how to glean information from these vast data sets that can be used to understand development and to improve methods for creating and culturing embryos in vitro, and for reducing reproductive loss. The use of ESTs permitted the identification of SPP1 as an oviductal component that could reduce polyspermy. Microarrays identified LDL and NMDA as components to replace BSA in embryo culture media. Deep sequencing implicated arginine, glycine, and folate as components that should be adjusted in our current culture system, and identified a characteristic of embryo metabolism that is similar to cancer and stem cells. Not only will these characterizations aid in improving in vitro production of embryos, but will also be useful for identifying, or creating conditions for donor cells that will be more likely to result in normal development of cloned embryos. The easily found targets have been identified, and now more sophisticated methods are being employed to advance our understanding of embryogenesis. Here the technology to study the global transcriptome is reviewed followed by specific examples of how the technology has been used to understand and improve porcine embryogenesis both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randall S Prather
- Division of Animal Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
| | - Bethany K Redel
- Division of Animal Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | | | - Ming-Tao Zhao
- Division of Animal Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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Baltz JM. Media composition: salts and osmolality. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2012; 912:61-80. [PMID: 22829369 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-61779-971-6_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
The main components of embryo culture media are salts, which dissociate into their component inorganic ions in aqueous solution. All embryo culture media contain the same six inorganic ions: Na(+), K(+), Cl(-), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), and SO(4)(2-), while most also contain PO(4)(2-). The salts that are used to formulate embryo culture media can be traced back to classic saline solutions, particularly Krebs-Ringer Bicarbonate (KRB), that were developed for somatic cells in the first half of the twentieth century. The salt and inorganic ion concentrations in the first successful defined mouse embryo culture medium, Whittens medium, were identical to those in KRB. These remained largely unchanged in embryo culture media for decades, with similar levels found in the standard mouse embryo culture medium, M16, formulated in the 1970s. Human embryos were initially cultured in undefined somatic cell media such as Earles and Hams F-10 with serum added. This changed in the mid-1980s, however, with the development of Quinns HTF, a defined medium specifically formulated for human embryo culture, in which the inorganic ion concentrations are similar to those in M16 and Whittens. While these media were useful both for experimental work and clinically, embryos suffered developmental blocks in all of them, with mouse embryos blocking at the 2-cell stage and human embryos at the 4- to 8-cell stage. Starting in the late 1980s, however, mouse embryo culture media were first developed that alleviated these developmental blocks. These media, CZB and KSOM, had much lower osmolalities than previous media, mainly due to lower inorganic ion concentrations. Indeed, lowering total inorganic ion concentration and osmolality proved key to understanding how media that supported complete preimplantation development in vitro can be formulated. A subsequent improvement was the addition of amino acids to culture media for both mouse and human embryos. At least in part, their beneficial effect during the cleavage stages of development is due to the presence in early preimplantation embryos of mechanisms for cell volume regulation that depend on the accumulation of amino acids as organic osmolytes to provide intracellular osmotic support. These amino acids, principally glycine, replace a portion of the intracellular inorganic ions that would otherwise be needed to maintain cell size, preventing the intracellular ionic strength from rising to deleterious levels and blocking development. Thus, the optimum salts levels, osmolality, and amino acid contents of culture media are not independent, but interact strongly because of their roles in cell volume regulation. In the absence of compounds that preimplantation embryos can use as organic osmolytes, embryos will develop only at lower osmolalities and salt concentrations in the medium. However, when organic osmolytes such as some amino acids are present, embryos will develop in culture at higher osmolarities that are similar to those they experience in tubal fluid in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay M Baltz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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Baltz JM, Zhou C. Cell volume regulation in mammalian oocytes and preimplantation embryos. Mol Reprod Dev 2012; 79:821-31. [DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Blässe AK, Oldenhof H, Ekhlasi-Hundrieser M, Wolkers WF, Sieme H, Bollwein H. Osmotic tolerance and intracellular ion concentrations of bovine sperm are affected by cryopreservation. Theriogenology 2012; 78:1312-20. [PMID: 22819283 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2012.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2012] [Revised: 05/29/2012] [Accepted: 05/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In this study, the effects of cryopreservation on osmoregulation and ion homeostasis in bovine sperm were studied. We determined: (1) the osmotic tolerance limits and cell volume response upon exposure to anisotonic conditions, (2) the intracellular pH and potassium concentration, and (3) expression and localization of proteins encoding for potassium and chloride ion channels. A flow cytometric approach was used for simultaneous assessment of cell volume and viability of propidium iodide stained sperm in anisotonic media. Osmotic tolerance was found to be decreased after cryopreservation, especially in the 120 to 60 mOsm/kg osmotic range. The critical osmolality at which half of the sperm population survived increased from 55 to 89 mOsm/kg. The osmotic cell volume response for viable sperm was similar before and after cryopreservation, with an osmotic inactive volume of about 70%. The intracellular pH, determined by recording changes in carboxyfluorescein fluorescence of sperm in media with different pH before and after addition of digitonin, decreased from 6.28 in diluted sperm to 6.16 after cryopreservation. The intracellular potassium concentration, determined using the potassium ionophore nigericin and incubation in media with various potassium concentrations, increased from 154 mM to 183 mM before and after cryopreservation, respectively. The levels of the chloride and potassium ion channel proteins chloride channel 3 protein (CLC-3) and two pore domain potassium channel 2 protein (TASK-2), as detected using Western blot analysis, were not affected by cryopreservation. Immunolocalization studies showed that CLC-3 is present in the acrosome and midpiece as well as in the upper and lower tail. In conclusion, cryopreserved sperm exhibit reduced tolerance to hypotonic stress, a decreased intracellular pH, and increased intracellular potassium level.
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Affiliation(s)
- A-K Blässe
- Clinic for Cattle, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
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Mito T, Yoshioka K, Yamashita S, Suzuki C, Noguchi M, Hoshi H. Glucose and glycine synergistically enhance the in vitro development of porcine blastocysts in a chemically defined medium. Reprod Fertil Dev 2012; 24:443-50. [PMID: 22401276 DOI: 10.1071/rd11197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2011] [Accepted: 09/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, the effects of glucose and/or glycine on the in vitro development of Day 5 (Day 0=IVF) porcine blastocysts were determined. The addition of 2.5-10 mM glucose to the chemically defined culture medium porcine zygote medium (PZM)-5 significantly increased blastocyst survival rates compared with those of blastocysts cultured in the absence of glucose. The addition of 5 and 10 mM glycine to PZM-5 containing 5 mM glucose significantly enhanced the development to hatching and the number of hatched blastocysts compared with no addition of glycine. However, the addition of glycine to PZM-5 with no glucose did not improve blastocyst development. The ATP content of Day 6 blastocysts cultured with glucose was significantly higher than that of blastocysts cultured in the absence of glucose, regardless of glycine supplementation. The diameter and total cell numbers were significantly greater, and the apoptotic index was significantly lower, in Day 6 blastocysts cultured with both glucose and glycine. These results indicate that glucose is an important energy source for the porcine blastocyst and that glucose and glycine act synergistically to enhance development to the hatching and hatched blastocyst stage in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Mito
- Research Institute for the Functional Peptides, 4-3-32 Shimojo, Yamagata 990-0823, Japan
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Mizobe Y, Kurino S, Sata Y, Mori H, Yoshida M, Miyoshi K. Stage-specific effects of osmolarity of a culture medium on development of pig oocytes and miniature pig somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos activated by ultrasound treatment. Anim Sci J 2010; 81:453-60. [PMID: 20662814 DOI: 10.1111/j.1740-0929.2010.00758.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Whether high osmolarity of a culture medium at the early culture stage affects the development of pig oocytes and miniature pig somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos activated by ultrasound was examined. When oocytes were cultured in modified porcine zygote medium-3 (mPZM-3) with increased NaCl to 138 mmol/L (mPZM-3+NaCl; 326 mOsm) or 50 mmol/L sucrose (mPZM-3+sucrose; 318 mOsm) for the first 2 days and then cultured in normal mPZM-3 (273 mOsm) for 5 days, the cleavage and blastocyst formation rates were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of oocytes cultured in mPZM-3 for 7 days. The cleavage and blastocyst formation rates of SCNT embryos cultured in mPZM-3+NaCl for the first 2 days and then cultured in mPZM-3 for 5 days were also significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of embryos cultured in mPZM-3 for 7 days. These results showed that the high osmolarity of a culture medium induced by increasing NaCl concentration during the first 2 days improves the development of pig oocytes and miniature pig SCNT embryos activated by ultrasound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamato Mizobe
- Laboratory of Animal Reproduction, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
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Bauer BK, Isom SC, Spate LD, Whitworth KM, Spollen WG, Blake SM, Springer GK, Murphy CN, Prather RS. Transcriptional Profiling by Deep Sequencing Identifies Differences in mRNA Transcript Abundance in In Vivo-Derived Versus In Vitro-Cultured Porcine Blastocyst Stage Embryos1. Biol Reprod 2010; 83:791-8. [DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.110.085936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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Kino T, Segars JH, Chrousos GP. The Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor Brx: A Link between Osmotic Stress, Inflammation and Organ Physiology and Pathophysiology. Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab 2010; 5:603-614. [PMID: 21037977 PMCID: PMC2964845 DOI: 10.1586/eem.10.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Dehydration, and consequent intracellular hyperosmolarity, is a major challenge to land organisms, as it is associated with extraction of water from cells and disturbance of global cellular function. Organisms have thus developed a highly conserved regulatory mechanism that transduces the hyperosmolarity signal from the cell surface to the cell nucleus and adjusts the expression of cellular osmolarity-regulating genes. We recently found that the Rho-type guanine nucleotide exchange factor Brx, or AKAP13, is essential for osmotic stress-stimulated expression of nuclear factor of activated T-cells 5 (NFAT5), a key transcription factor of intracellular osmolarity. It accomplishes this by first attracting cJun kinase (JNK)-interacting protein (JIP) 4 and then coupling activated Rho-type small G-proteins to cascade components of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway, ultimately activating NFAT5. We describe the potential implications of osmotic stress and Brx activation in organ physiology and pathophysiology and connect activation of this system to key human homeostatic states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoshige Kino
- Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Avilés M, Gutiérrez-Adán A, Coy P. Oviductal secretions: will they be key factors for the future ARTs? Mol Hum Reprod 2010; 16:896-906. [PMID: 20584881 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaq056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A variety of evolutionary processes has led to the development of different organs to ensure that internal fertilization occur successfully. Fallopian tubes are a particularly interesting example of such organs. Some of the key events during fertilization and early embryo development occur in the oviduct. Knowledge of the different components described in the oviduct is extensive. Oviductal components include hormones, growth factors and their receptors that have important roles in the physiology of the oviduct and embryo development. Other oviductal factors protect the gamete and the embryos against oxidative stress and pathogens. Different proteins and enzymes are present in the oviductal fluid and have the ability to interact with the oocyte and the sperm before the fertilization occurs. Of special interest is the oviduct-specific glycoprotein (OVGP1), a glycoprotein that is conserved in different mammals, and its association with the zona pellucida (ZP). Interaction of the oocyte with oviductal secretions leads us to emphasize the concept of 'ZP maturation' within the oviduct. The ZP changes produced in the oviduct result in an increased efficiency of the in vitro fertilization technique in some animal models, contributing in particular to the control of polyspermy and suggesting that a similar role could be played by oviductal factors in human beings. Finally, attention should be given to the presence in the oviductal fluid of several embryotrophic factors and their importance in relation to the in vivo versus in vitro developmental ability of the embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Avilés
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
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Powell MD, Manandhar G, Spate L, Sutovsky M, Zimmerman S, Sachdev SC, Hannink M, Prather RS, Sutovsky P. Discovery of putative oocyte quality markers by comparative ExacTag proteomics. Proteomics Clin Appl 2010; 4:337-51. [PMID: 21137054 DOI: 10.1002/prca.200900024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2009] [Revised: 10/01/2009] [Accepted: 11/03/2009] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Identification of the biomarkers of oocyte quality, and developmental and reprogramming potential is of importance to assisted reproductive technology in humans and animals. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN PerkinElmer ExacTag™ Kit was used to label differentially proteins in pig oocyte extracts (oocyte proteome) and pig oocyte-conditioned in vitro maturation media (oocyte secretome) obtained with high- and low-quality oocytes. RESULTS We identified 16 major proteins in the oocyte proteome that were expressed differentially in high- versus low-quality oocytes. More abundant proteins in the high-quality oocyte proteome included kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (an adaptor for ubiquitin-ligase CUL3), nuclear export factor CRM1 and ataxia-telangiectasia mutated protein kinase. Dystrophin (DMD) was more abundant in low-quality oocytes. In the secretome, we identified 110 proteins, including DMD and cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, two proteins implicated in muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis, respectively. Monoubiquitin was identified in the low-quality-oocyte secretome. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS A direct, quantitative proteomic analysis of small oocyte protein samples can identify potential markers of oocyte quality without the need for a large amount of total protein. This approach will be applied to discovery of non-invasive biomarkers of oocyte quality in assisted human reproduction and in large animal embryo transfer programs.
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Kim MS, Bae CY, Wee G, Han YM, Park JK. A microfluidicin vitrocultivation system for mechanical stimulation of bovine embryos. Electrophoresis 2009; 30:3276-82. [DOI: 10.1002/elps.200900157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Li R, Murphy CN, Spate L, Wax D, Isom C, Rieke A, Walters EM, Samuel M, Prather RS. Production of piglets after cryopreservation of embryos using a centrifugation-based method for delipation without micromanipulation. Biol Reprod 2008; 80:563-71. [PMID: 19038857 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.108.073387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
It is still difficult to successfully cryopreserve in vitro-produced (IVP) swine embryos, as they are sensitive to chilling due to the abundance of intracellular lipids. Mechanical delipation through micromanipulation is successful, but this method increases the potential of pathogen transmission because of the damage inflicted upon the zona pellucida during micromanipulation, and it is labor intensive. Reported here is a method to remove the lipid of IVP porcine embryos, without significantly compromising the zona pellucida, by trypsin treating the embryos or exposing the embryo to a high-osmolality solution to enlarge the perivitelline space so that the lipid could be polarized and separated completely after subsequent centrifugation without micromanipulation. The procedures work both for nuclear transfer-derived embryos and in vitro-fertilized embryos. Both methods provide a high-throughput process that leaves the zona pellucida intact (or relatively intact for the trypsin treatment) to aid in preventing disease transmission. It is also demonstrated that this procedure results in viable piglets, a claim that could not be made in many previous reports. Although the efficiencies of cryopreservation have not been dramatically improved, these procedures allow a single person to process very large numbers of embryos without the necessity of manipulating each individual embryo on a micromanipulator. Such high-throughput processing overcomes the lack of high efficiency (i.e., the system can be overloaded with embryos for transfer to surrogates).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongfeng Li
- Division of Animal Science, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA
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Leese HJ, Hugentobler SA, Gray SM, Morris DG, Sturmey RG, Whitear SL, Sreenan JM. Female reproductive tract fluids: composition, mechanism of formation and potential role in the developmental origins of health and disease. Reprod Fertil Dev 2008; 20:1-8. [DOI: 10.1071/rd07153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The oviduct and uterus provide the environments for the earliest stages of mammalian embryo development. However, little is known about the mechanisms that underlie the formation of oviduct and uterine fluids, or the extent to which the supply of nutrients via these reproductive tract tissues matches the nutrient requirements of early embryos. After reviewing our limited knowledge of these phenomena, a new experimental paradigm is proposed in which the epithelia lining the endosalpinx and endometrium are seen as the final components in a supply line that links maternal diet at one end and embryo uptake of nutrients at the other. When considered in this way, the oviduct and uterine epithelia become, for a few days, potentially the most critical maternal tissues in the establishment of a healthy pregnancy. In fulfilling this ‘gatekeeper’ role, female reproductive tract fluids have a key role in the ‘developmental origins of health and disease’ concept.
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Triphan X, Menzel VA, Petrunkina AM, Cassará MC, Wemheuer W, Hinsch KD, Hinsch E. Localisation and function of voltage-dependent anion channels (VDAC) in bovine spermatozoa. Pflugers Arch 2007; 455:677-86. [PMID: 17647012 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-007-0316-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2007] [Revised: 06/22/2007] [Accepted: 06/23/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Sperm motility, regulation of cell volume, sperm capacitation, acrosome reaction and tight binding of spermatozoa to the zona pellucida are crucial events in the process of fertilisation. Voltage-dependent anion channels (VDAC) are highly conserved pore-forming proteins implicated in apoptosis, metabolite transport between mitochondria and cytosol, energy metabolism, and cell volume regulation in somatic cells. Several studies have demonstrated the presence of VDAC in cell compartments other than mitochondria. In previous studies using immunofluorescence, we were able to localise VDAC2 and VDAC3 in outer dense fibres of the bovine sperm flagellum. Furthermore, we described the presence of VDAC2 in the head of bovine sperm. In the present study, we confirm the localisation of VDAC2 in the acrosomal region of bovine spermatozoa using immunoelectron microscopy. After incubation with anti-VDAC antibodies raised against each VDAC isoform, bovine spermatozoa showed an increased loss of the acrosomal cap, noticeable changes in the surface of the head, coiled tails and an increased cell volume. The incubation of bovine spermatozoa with anti-VDAC antibodies might lead to alteration of the intracellular ion concentration that causes changes in the cell volume, followed by destabilization of the cytoskeleton and, finally, to loss of the acrosomal cap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xenia Triphan
- Centre of Dermatology and Andrology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Gaffkystr. 14, 35392 Giessen, Germany
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