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Wakai T, Mehregan A, Fissore RA. Ca 2+ Signaling and Homeostasis in Mammalian Oocytes and Eggs. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2019; 11:cshperspect.a035162. [PMID: 31427376 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a035162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Changes in the intracellular concentration of calcium ([Ca2+]i) represent a vital signaling mechanism enabling communication between and among cells as well as with the environment. Cells have developed a sophisticated set of molecules, "the Ca2+ toolkit," to adapt [Ca2+]i changes to specific cellular functions. Mammalian oocytes and eggs, the subject of this review, are not an exception, and in fact the initiation of embryo devolvement in all species is entirely dependent on distinct [Ca2+]i responses. Here, we review the components of the Ca2+ toolkit present in mammalian oocytes and eggs, the regulatory mechanisms that allow these cells to accumulate Ca2+ in the endoplasmic reticulum, release it, and maintain basal and stable cytoplasmic concentrations. We also discuss electrophysiological and genetic studies that have uncovered Ca2+ influx channels in oocytes and eggs, and we analyze evidence supporting the role of a sperm-specific phospholipase C isoform as the trigger of Ca2+ oscillations during mammalian fertilization including its implication in fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Wakai
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - Aujan Mehregan
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - Rafael A Fissore
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
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Liu C, Liu Y, Larsen K, Hou YP, Callesen H. Calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) is involved in porcine in vitro fertilisation and early embryo development. Reprod Fertil Dev 2018; 30:391-398. [PMID: 28712411 DOI: 10.1071/rd16338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been demonstrated that extracellular calcium is necessary in fertilisation and embryo development but the mechanism is still not well understood. The present study mainly focussed on the extracellular calcium effector called the calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) and examined its expression in porcine gametes and embryos and its function during fertilisation and early embryo development. By using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, CASR was found to be expressed in porcine oocytes, spermatozoa and embryos at different developmental stages. Functionally, medium supplementation with a CASR agonist or an antagonist during in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and in vitro culture (IVC) was tested. During fertilisation, the presence of a CASR agonist increased sperm penetration rate and decreased polyspermy rate leading to an increased normal fertilisation rate. During embryo development, for the IVF embryos, agonist treatment during IVC significantly increased cleavage rate and blastocyst formation rate compared with the control group. Furthermore, parthenogenetically activated embryos showed similar results with lower cleavage and blastocyst formation rates in the antagonist group than in the other groups. It was concluded that CASR, as the effector of extracellular calcium, modulates porcine fertilisation and early embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, No. 2, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Y Liu
- Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark
| | - K Larsen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark
| | - Y P Hou
- State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, No. 2, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
| | - H Callesen
- Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark
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Carvacho I, Piesche M, Maier TJ, Machaca K. Ion Channel Function During Oocyte Maturation and Fertilization. Front Cell Dev Biol 2018; 6:63. [PMID: 29998105 PMCID: PMC6028574 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2018.00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The proper maturation of both male and female gametes is essential for supporting fertilization and the early embryonic divisions. In the ovary, immature fully-grown oocytes that are arrested in prophase I of meiosis I are not able to support fertilization. Acquiring fertilization competence requires resumption of meiosis which encompasses the remodeling of multiple signaling pathways and the reorganization of cellular organelles. Collectively, this differentiation endows the egg with the ability to activate at fertilization and to promote the egg-to-embryo transition. Oocyte maturation is associated with changes in the electrical properties of the plasma membrane and alterations in the function and distribution of ion channels. Therefore, variations on the pattern of expression, distribution, and function of ion channels and transporters during oocyte maturation are fundamental to reproductive success. Ion channels and transporters are important in regulating membrane potential, but also in the case of calcium (Ca2+), they play a critical role in modulating intracellular signaling pathways. In the context of fertilization, Ca2+ has been shown to be the universal activator of development at fertilization, playing a central role in early events associated with egg activation and the egg-to-embryo transition. These early events include the block of polyspermy, the completion of meiosis and the transition to the embryonic mitotic divisions. In this review, we discuss the role of ion channels during oocyte maturation, fertilization and early embryonic development. We will describe how ion channel studies in Xenopus oocytes, an extensively studied model of oocyte maturation, translate into a greater understanding of the role of ion channels in mammalian oocyte physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid Carvacho
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Matthias Piesche
- Biomedical Research Laboratories, Medicine Faculty, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Thorsten J. Maier
- Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy, Goethe-University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Khaled Machaca
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell-Medicine-Qatar, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
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Kim J, Lee J, Kim SH, Jun JH. Coculture of Preimplantation Embryos With Outgrowth Embryos Improves Embryonic Developmental Competence in Mice. Reprod Sci 2015; 23:913-23. [DOI: 10.1177/1933719115623641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jihyun Kim
- Department of Senior Healthcare, BK21 Plus Program, Graduated School, Eulji University, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Jaewang Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
- Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seok Hyun Kim
- Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jin Hyun Jun
- Department of Senior Healthcare, BK21 Plus Program, Graduated School, Eulji University, Daejeon, Korea
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Graduate School of Health Science, Eulji University, Daejeon, Korea
- Eulji Medi-Bio Research Institute (EMBRI), Eulji University, Daejeon, Korea
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O’Neill C, Li Y, Jin X. Survival Signalling in the Preimplantation Embryo. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2015; 843:129-49. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2480-6_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Jin XL, O’Neill C. Systematic analysis of the factors that adversely affect the rate of cell accumulation in mouse embryos during their culture in vitro. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2014; 12:35. [PMID: 24885989 PMCID: PMC4036297 DOI: 10.1186/1477-7827-12-35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 05/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Retarded embryo growth is a pervasive effect of culture in vitro. METHODS A systematic analysis of the interactions between media design, embryo culture density, oxygen tension, amino acids, trophic ligands and the genetic background of the mouse on embryo growth rates in vitro was performed. RESULTS Growth retardation of mouse zygotes was greater in 20% O2 than 5%, a sequential media design was superior to static simple media designs, but the supplementation of simple media with mixed amino acids mitigated this difference. There was a beneficial effect of communal culture in small volumes, and supplementation with a trophic ligand (Paf) further enhanced growth rates. For hybrid strain zygotes (B6CBF1) communal culture in KSOM media supplemented with amino acids, albumin and Paf under 5% O₂ resulted in complete rescue of their rate of accumulation of cells and blastocyst formation. Inbred strain (C57BL6/J) zygotes, however, still showed some retardation of development under these conditions. The additional supplementation of media with another trophic ligand (IGF1) showed a further additive beneficial effect on development of inbred strain embryos but they still showed a growth deficit of ~ 23% cell number. The results show that optimising the interactions between a range of culture conditions and media design can rescue hybrid strain embryos from a retarded rate of cell proliferation caused by culture in vitro, but this was incomplete for the B6 strain. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that the growth requirement of embryos in vitro varies depending upon their genetic background and provide models for the further genetic analysis of embryo growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing L Jin
- Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, Kolling Institute for Medical Research, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia
| | - Chris O’Neill
- Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, Kolling Institute for Medical Research, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia
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Survival signaling in the preimplantation embryo. Theriogenology 2012; 77:773-84. [PMID: 22325248 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2011.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2011] [Revised: 12/12/2011] [Accepted: 01/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The autopoietic development of the preimplantation embryo may in part be explained by the actions of autocrine tropic ligands. The net effect of these mediators is to support the survival of cells within the early embryo. In the mouse, the actions of autocrine ligands are required by the 2-cell stage of development, and they can act in concert with paracrine mediators present within the reproductive tract. These mediators act via 1-o-phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase signaling which has the dual effects of activating calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase/CREB transcription factor and AKT (protein kinase B)/MDM2 mediated survival pathways. The activated CREB drives transcription of prosurvival effectors, including the proto-oncogenes c-Fos and Bcl2. The AKT induces the phosphorylation and activation of MDM2 which causes the ubiquitination and resultant degradation of P53 resulting in the latency of P53 action. Tropic signals provide coordinated mechanisms for maintaining the survival of the cells of the early embryo. Disturbance of survival signaling has the net effect of reducing the number of cells populating the early embryo, due in part to the P53-mediated reduction in the pluripotent inner cell mass stem cell population within the embryo. The resultant embryos have a markedly reduced capacity for development beyond the implantation stage and those that do implant tend to be anembryonic.
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Jin XL, O'Neill C. Regulation of the expression of proto-oncogenes by autocrine embryotropins in the early mouse embryo. Biol Reprod 2011; 84:1216-24. [PMID: 21248291 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.110.087007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Autocrine embryotropins act as survival signals for the preimplantation embryo. In this study we examined the role of Paf in the transcription of the key proto-oncogenes Bcl2 and Fos. Transcripts were detected in oocytes and some cohorts of zygotes but not in cohorts of 2-cell, 8-cell, and blastocyst stage embryos. Immunolocalization of BCL2 and FOS showed little staining in oocytes and zygotes but increased staining in the embryo from the 2-cell to blastocyst stage. Paf (37 nM) treatment of 2-cell embryos caused an alpha-amanitin (26 μM)-sensitive increase in Bcl2 and Fos transcripts 20 min after treatment that subsided by 40 min. This increase was blocked by inhibition of calcium (by BAPTA-AM) or phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase signaling (by LY294002). Paf challenge also caused increased staining of BCL2 and FOS. Increased staining of FOS required new protein synthesis that had a half-life of 2-4 h after Paf challenge. Only a small proportion (∼12%) of individual 2-cell embryos collected from the reproductive tract had detectable Bcl2 and Fos. This dichotomous pattern of transcript expression is consistent with the known periodic actions of Paf (which has a periodicity of ∼90 min) and the relatively short half-life of the resulting transcripts. A BCL2 antagonist (HA14-1) caused a dose-dependent decrease in the capacity of cultured zygotes to develop to morphological blastocysts, which was partially reversed by the simultaneous addition of Paf to medium. The results show that Paf induces periodic transient transcriptions of key proto-oncogenes that result in the persistent presence of the resulting proteins in the preimplantation phase of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Liang Jin
- Centre for Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, Kolling Institute for Medical Research, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Ozkucur N, Epperlein HH, Funk RHW. Ion imaging during axolotl tail regeneration in vivo. Dev Dyn 2010; 239:2048-57. [PMID: 20549718 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.22323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies have reported that endogenous ion currents are involved in a wide range of biological processes from single cell and tissue behavior to regeneration. Various methods are used to assess intracellular and local ion dynamics in biological systems, e.g., patch clamping and vibrating probes. Here, we introduce an approach to detect ion kinetics in vivo using a noninvasive method that can electrophysiologically characterize an entire experimental tissue region or organism. Ion-specific vital dyes have been successfully used for live imaging of intracellular ion dynamics in vitro. Here, we demonstrate that cellular pH, cell membrane potential, calcium, sodium and potassium can be monitored in vivo during tail regeneration in the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) using ion-specific vital dyes. Thus, we suggest that ion-specific vital dyes can be a powerful tool to obtain electrophysiological data during crucial biological events in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurdan Ozkucur
- Department of Anatomy, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, Dresden, Germany.
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Li Y, O'Neill C, Day ML. Activation of a Chloride Channel by a Trophic Ligand Is Required for Development of the Mouse Preimplantation Embryo In Vitro1. Biol Reprod 2009; 81:759-67. [DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.108.074567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
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Jin XL, O'Neill C. The presence and activation of two essential transcription factors (cAMP response element-binding protein and cAMP-dependent transcription factor ATF1) in the two-cell mouse embryo. Biol Reprod 2009; 82:459-68. [PMID: 19776387 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.109.078758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The expression of two members of an important family of transcription factors, cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and cAMP-dependent transcription factor ATF1 (ATF1), is essential for normal preimplantation development. There is a high degree of functional similarity between these two transcription factors, and they can both homodimerize and heterodimerize with each other to form active transcription factors. CREB is present in all stages of mouse preimplantation embryo, and we show here that ATF1 is localized to the nucleus in all preimplantation stages. Activation of these transcription factors requires their phosphorylation, and this was only observed to occur for both transcription factors (serine 133 phosphorylation of CREB and serine 63 phosphorylation of ATF1) at the two-cell stage. Nuclear localization and phosphorylation of ATF1 were constitutive. The nuclear localization and phosphorylation of CREB showed a constitutive component that was further induced by the autocrine embryotropin Paf (1-o-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine). Activation of CREB by Paf was independent of cAMP but was dependent on calcium, calmodulin, and calmodulin-dependent kinase activity. ATF1 nuclear localization was unaffected by inhibition of the calcium/calmodulin pathway. A complex pattern of expression of calmodulin-dependent kinases was observed throughout preimplantation development. At the two-cell stage, only mRNAs coding for calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase beta, calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II gamma, and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV were detected. A selective antagonist for calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase (STO-609) and calmodulin-dependent protein kinases I, II, and IV (KN-62) blocked the Paf-induced phosphorylation of CREB. The study demonstrates a role for trophic signaling and constitutive activation of two essential transcription factors at the time of zygotic genome activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- X L Jin
- Human Reproduction Unit, Sydney Centre for Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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O'Neill C. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling in mammalian preimplantation embryo development. Reproduction 2008; 136:147-56. [PMID: 18515313 DOI: 10.1530/rep-08-0105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The development of the preimplantation mammalian embryo is an autopoietic process; once initiated development proceeds without an absolute requirement for external information or growth cues. This developmental autonomy is partly explained by the generation of autocrine trophic ligands that are released and act back on the embryo via specific receptors. Several embryotrophic ligands cause receptor-dependent activation of 1-o-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. This enzyme phosphorylates phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate to form phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate. Genetic or pharmacological ablation of this enzyme activity disrupts normal development of preimplantation embryos. Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate is a membrane lipid that acts as a docking site for a wide range of proteins possessing the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain. Such proteins are important regulators of cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. RAC-alpha serine/threonine protein kinase is an important PH domain protein and its activity is required for normal preimplantation embryo development and survival. The activity of a range of PH domain proteins is also implicated in the normal development of the embryo. This review critically examines the evidence for the activation of 1-o-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in the generation of pleiotypic trophic response to embryotrophins in the autopoietic development of the preimplantation embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris O'Neill
- Disciplines of Medicine and Physiology, Human Reproduction Unit, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, St Leonards, New South Wales 2065, Australia.
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O’Neill C. The potential roles for embryotrophic ligands in preimplantation embryo development. Hum Reprod Update 2008; 14:275-88. [DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmn002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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