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Jia B, Xiang D, Yang H, Liang J, Lv C, Yang Q, Huang X, Quan G, Wu G. Transcriptome analysis of porcine embryos derived from oocytes vitrified at the germinal vesicle stage. Theriogenology 2024; 218:99-110. [PMID: 38316086 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2024.01.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Vitrification of porcine immature oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage reduces subsequent embryo yield and changes at the molecular level may occur during embryonic development. Therefore, the present study used porcine parthenogenetic embryos as a model to investigate the effect of GV oocyte vitrification on the transcriptional profiles of the resultant embryos at the 4-cell and blastocyst stages using the Smart-seq2 RNA-seq technique. We identified 743 (420 up-regulated and 323 down-regulated) and 994 (554 up-regulated and 440 down-regulated) differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from 4-cell embryos and blastocysts derived from vitrified GV oocytes, respectively. Functional enrichment analysis of DEGs in 4-cell embryos showed that vitrification of GV oocytes influenced regulatory mechanisms related to transcription regulation, apoptotic process, metabolism and key pathways such as the MAPK signaling pathway. Moreover, DEGs in blastocysts produced from vitrified GV oocytes were enriched in critical biological functions including cell adhesion, cell migration, AMPK signaling pathway, GnRH signaling pathway and so on. In addition, the transcriptomic analysis and quantitative real-time PCR results were consistent. In summary, the present study revealed that the vitrification of porcine GV oocytes could alter gene expression patterns during subsequent embryonic developmental stages, potentially affecting their developmental competence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoyu Jia
- Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation in Yunnan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China
| | - Decai Xiang
- National Regional Genebank (Yunnan) of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources, Yunnan Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resource Conservation and Germplasm Enhancement, Yunnan Animal Science and Veterinary Institute, Kunming, Yunnan, 650224, China
| | - Han Yang
- Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation in Yunnan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China
| | - Jiachong Liang
- National Regional Genebank (Yunnan) of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources, Yunnan Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resource Conservation and Germplasm Enhancement, Yunnan Animal Science and Veterinary Institute, Kunming, Yunnan, 650224, China
| | - Chunrong Lv
- National Regional Genebank (Yunnan) of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources, Yunnan Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resource Conservation and Germplasm Enhancement, Yunnan Animal Science and Veterinary Institute, Kunming, Yunnan, 650224, China
| | - Qige Yang
- Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation in Yunnan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China
| | - Xinyu Huang
- Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation in Yunnan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China
| | - Guobo Quan
- National Regional Genebank (Yunnan) of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources, Yunnan Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resource Conservation and Germplasm Enhancement, Yunnan Animal Science and Veterinary Institute, Kunming, Yunnan, 650224, China.
| | - Guoquan Wu
- National Regional Genebank (Yunnan) of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources, Yunnan Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resource Conservation and Germplasm Enhancement, Yunnan Animal Science and Veterinary Institute, Kunming, Yunnan, 650224, China.
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Okotrub KA, Omelchenko AN, Chuyko EA, Amstislavsky SY, Surovtsev NV. Irreversible lipid phase transition detected in a porcine oocyte at chilling. Cryobiology 2024; 114:104850. [PMID: 38242275 DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2024.104850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Under physiological conditions, the membranes and lipid droplets of germ cells are in a conformationally disordered phase. Typically, during cooling, lipids undergo the transition to ordered phases and, upon heating, melt into a disordered phase. In this communication, we report the lipid phase transition in lipid droplets observed in porcine oocytes. Upon cooling, a sharp lipid phase transition from conformationally disordered to ordered state was detected within the temperature range between 20 and 15 °C. Subsequent heating to 45 °C does not return lipids to their original phase state. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first observation of an irreversible phase transition in lipid droplets of biological cells with native lipid composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Okotrub
- Institute of Automation and Electrometry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia.
| | - A N Omelchenko
- Institute of Automation and Electrometry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia; Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia.
| | - E A Chuyko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia.
| | - S Y Amstislavsky
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia.
| | - N V Surovtsev
- Institute of Automation and Electrometry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia.
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3
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Zhu Y, Liu H, Zheng L, Luo Y, Zhou G, Li J, Hou Y, Fu X. Vitrification of Mammalian Oocytes: Recent Studies on Mitochondrial Dysfunction. Biopreserv Biobank 2024. [PMID: 38227396 DOI: 10.1089/bio.2023.0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Vitrification of reproductive cells is definitely essential and integral in animal breeding, as well as in assisted reproduction. However, issues accompanied with this technology such as decreased oocyte competency and relatively low embryo survival rates appear to be a tough conundrum that has long perplexed us. As significant organelles in cell metabolism, mitochondria play pivotal roles in numerous pathways. Nonetheless, extensive evidence has demonstrated that vitrification can seriously impair mitochondrial function in mammalian oocytes. Thus, in this article, we summarize the current progress in oocyte vitrification and particularly outline the common mitochondrial abnormalities alongside subsequent injury cascades seen in mammalian oocytes following vitrification. Based on existing literature, we tentatively come up with the potential mechanisms related to mitochondrial dysfunction and generalize efficacious ways which have been recommended to restore mitochondrial function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixiao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the MARA, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Hongyu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the MARA, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Lv Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the MARA, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Yuwen Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Guizhen Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the MARA, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Reproductive Medical Center, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yunpeng Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangwei Fu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the MARA, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P. R. China
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Mulligan BP, Skidmore JA. A comparison of culture and cooling for the short term preservation of in vivo derived dromedary camel embryos of varying morphological quality. Theriogenology 2023; 210:28-33. [PMID: 37467696 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2023.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Despite recent advancements in the cryopreservation of dromedary camel embryos, widespread application of the technique is still limited by the need for specialised vitrification equipment and supplies. Temporary, liquid-phase embryo storage methods provide a useful tool for short-term preservation of camel embryos. In the current study, we compared the use of in vitro embryo culture with cold liquid storage in order to maintain both high- (Grade 1- Excellent and 2-Good) and low- (Grade 3- Moderate and 4-Poor) morphological grade Day-7 dromedary camel embryos in vitro for up to 3 days. Embryos were either cooled and placed in Hams-F10 medium supplemented with HEPES and 10% FBS and then kept at 4 °C; or placed in Hams-F10 supplemented with sodium bicarbonate and 10% FBS and then cultured in a humidified atmosphere of 6% CO2 at 37 °C before being assessed for viability at 24 h. In high-morphological grade embryos, both cold storage and culture supported 100% viability (maintenance of normal morphology) over this period (Cooled n = 22, Cultured n = 20). In low-morphological grade embryos, culture supported higher viability (16/18, 88.9%) than did cooling (4/18, 22.2%). We then evaluated the effect of up to 3 days of cold storage or culture on embryo morphological grade, diameter, and developmental competence following embryo transfer. High-grade embryos were divided between culture and cold storage; low-grade embryos were evaluated only after culture. Over 3 days of culture, both high- and low-grade embryos tended to either maintain or improve upon their initial morphological score (P < 0.05) and increased in diameter (P < 0.001). Embryos subjected to cooling tended to have reduced morphological scores by 48 h of storage and decreased in diameter by 72 h (P < 0.05). No significant influence of storage method (cooling vs. culture), duration (24-72 h), or embryo grade (high vs low) was observed on pregnancy establishment at Day-60 (22.2%-57.2% pregnancy rates for all treatments). Overall, rates of pregnancy establishment were similar for transferred cultured (n = 45) and cooled (n = 45) embryos (pregnancy rates at Day 18, 48% vs 51.1%; at Day 60, 37.7% vs 37.7%). Rates of embryonic loss also were similar (22.7% vs 26%). In conclusion, whilst similar rates of pregnancy and pregnancy loss were observed following the transfer of both cooled and cultured embryos held in vitro for up to 3 days, amongst the two methods, only embryo culture appears to provide a means of effectively preserving Day- 7 dromedary camel embryos with reduced morphological values in vitro. Considering these embryos appear to show poor tolerance to the cooling procedure and are unlikely candidates for vitrification, embryo culture may provide an effective method for deriving pregnancies from low-morphological grade embryos when immediate transfer is not possible on the day of flushing.
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Affiliation(s)
- B P Mulligan
- Camel Reproduction Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
| | - J A Skidmore
- Camel Reproduction Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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Gonzalez-Plaza A, Cambra JM, Garcia-Canovas M, Parrilla I, Gil MA, Martinez EA, Rodriguez-Martinez H, Martinez CA, Cuello C. Cryotop vitrification of large batches of pig embryos simultaneously provides excellent postwarming survival rates and minimal interference with gene expression. Theriogenology 2023; 206:1-10. [PMID: 37148716 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2023.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The most commonly used technique to vitrify pig embryos is the super open pulled straw (SOPS), where a maximum of 6 embryos can be vitrified simultaneously per device without compromising the minimum volume necessary for optimal preservation. Since optimal embryo transfer (ET) demands a transfer of 20-40 embryos per recipient, the customary use of SOPS complicates embryo warming and ET in field conditions. Such complications could be avoided when using the Cryotop® (OC) system, which has been proven to be an effective option for vitrifying at least 20 porcine embryos simultaneously. This study aimed to investigate the changes in the transcriptome of blastocysts caused by vitrification using both systems. In vivo-derived blastocysts were OC- (n = 60; 20 embryos/device) and SOPS- (n = 60; 4-6 embryos/device) vitrified and cultured for 24 h after warming. Nonvitrified blastocysts (n = 60) cultured for 24 h postcollection acted as controls. At the end of culture, 48 viable embryos from each group (6 pools of 8 embryos) were selected for microarray (GeneChip® Porcine Genome Array, P/N 900624, Affymetrix) analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The survival rate of embryos vitrified with the OC and SOPS systems (>97%) was similar to that of the control embryos (100%). Microarray analysis of each vitrification system compared to the control group showed 245 DEGs (89 downregulated and 156 upregulated) for the OC system and 210 (44 downregulated and 166 upregulated) for the SOPS system. Two pathways were enriched for the DEGs specifically altered in each vitrification system compared to the control (glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and carbon metabolism pathways for the OC system and amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism and lysosome pathways in the SOPS group). The OC group showed 31 downregulated and 24 upregulated genes and two enriched pathways (mineral absorption and amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism pathways) when compared to the SOPS group. In summary, vitrification with the OC system altered fewer genes related to apoptosis and activated genes related to cell proliferation. We conclude that vitrification with either the OC or SOPS system has a moderate to low effect on the transcriptome of in vivo-derived porcine blastocysts. Further investigation is needed to elucidate how the differences in the transcriptome of embryos vitrified with these systems affect their subsequent developmental ability after ET.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Gonzalez-Plaza
- Department of Medicine & Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education & Research (CMN), University of Murcia. Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain
| | - Josep M Cambra
- Department of Medicine & Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education & Research (CMN), University of Murcia. Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain
| | - Manuela Garcia-Canovas
- Department of Medicine & Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education & Research (CMN), University of Murcia. Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Parrilla
- Department of Medicine & Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education & Research (CMN), University of Murcia. Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain
| | - Maria A Gil
- Department of Medicine & Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education & Research (CMN), University of Murcia. Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain
| | - Emilio A Martinez
- Department of Medicine & Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education & Research (CMN), University of Murcia. Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain
| | - Heriberto Rodriguez-Martinez
- Department of Biomedical & Clinical Sciences (BKV), BKH/Obstetrics & Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Cristina A Martinez
- Department of Animal Reproduction. National Institute for Agriculture and Food Research and Technology (INIA-CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Cristina Cuello
- Department of Medicine & Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education & Research (CMN), University of Murcia. Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain.
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Tu CF, Peng SH, Chuang CK, Wong CH, Yang TS. - Invited Review - Reproductive technologies needed for the generation of precise gene-edited pigs in the pathways from laboratory to farm. Anim Biosci 2023; 36:339-349. [PMID: 36397683 PMCID: PMC9899582 DOI: 10.5713/ab.22.0389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene editing (GE) offers a new breeding technique (NBT) of sustainable value to animal agriculture. There are 3 GE working sites covering 5 feasible pathways to generate GE pigs along with the crucial intervals of GE/genotyping, microinjection/electroporation, induced pluripotent stem cells, somatic cell nuclear transfer, cryopreservation, and nonsurgical embryo transfer. The extension of NBT in the new era of pig breeding depends on the synergistic effect of GE and reproductive biotechnologies; the outcome relies not only on scientific due diligence and operational excellence but also on the feasibility of application on farms to improve sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Fu Tu
- Division of Animal Technology, Animal Technology Research Center, Agricultural Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu 30093,
Taiwan,Corresponding Author: Ching-Fu Tu, Tel: +886-37-585815, E-mail:
| | - Shu-Hui Peng
- Division of Animal Technology, Animal Technology Research Center, Agricultural Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu 30093,
Taiwan
| | - Chin-kai Chuang
- Division of Animal Technology, Animal Technology Research Center, Agricultural Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu 30093,
Taiwan
| | - Chi-Hong Wong
- Division of Animal Technology, Animal Technology Research Center, Agricultural Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu 30093,
Taiwan
| | - Tien-Shuh Yang
- Division of Animal Technology, Animal Technology Research Center, Agricultural Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu 30093,
Taiwan,Department of Biotechnology and Animal Science, National Ilan University, Yilan 260007,
Taiwan
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Chen Y, Chen L, Zhou M, Yi S, Ran J, Long Y, Luo J, Tian K. Can delayed grafting of frozen teeth achieve periodontal ligament healing? Med Hypotheses 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2022.110945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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8
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Gonzalez-Plaza A, Cambra JM, Parrilla I, Gil MA, Martinez EA, Martinez CA, Cuello C. The Open Cryotop System Is Effective for the Simultaneous Vitrification of a Large Number of Porcine Embryos at Different Developmental Stages. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:936753. [PMID: 35812891 PMCID: PMC9257686 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.936753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The Superfine Open Pulled Straw (SOPS) system is the most commonly used method for vitrification of pig embryos. However, this system only allows the vitrification of four to seven embryos per straw. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of the open (OC) and closed (CC) Cryotop® systems to simultaneously vitrify a larger number of porcine embryos. Morulae, early blastocysts and full blastocysts were vitrified with the open Cryotop® (n = 250; 20 embryos per device) system, the closed Cryotop® (n = 158; 20 embryos per device) system and the traditional superfine open pulled straw (SOPS; n = 241; 4–7 embryos per straw) method. Fresh embryos from each developmental stage constituted the control group (n = 132). Data expressed as percentages were compared with the Fisher's exact test. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyze the effect of the different vitrification systems on the embryo quality parameters and two-by-two comparisons were accomplished with the Mann-Whitney U test. Differences were considered statistically significant when p < 0.05. Vitrified and control embryos were incubated for 24 h and examined for viability and quality. At the warming step, the embryo recovery rate for the CC system was 51%, while all embryos were recovered when using OC and SOPS. There were no differences between the vitrification and control groups in the postwarming viability of full blastocysts. In contrast, morulae and early blastocysts that were vitrified-warmed with the SOPS system had lower viability (p < 0.01) compared to those from the OC, CC and control groups. The embryonic viability was similar between the OC and control groups, regardless of the developmental stage considered. Moreover, the embryos from the OC group had comparable total cell number and cells from the inner cell mass and apoptotic index than the controls. In conclusion, the OC system is suitable for the simultaneous vitrification of 20 porcine embryos at different developmental stages and provides comparable viability and quality results to fresh embryos subjected to 24 h of in vitro culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Gonzalez-Plaza
- Department of Medicine and Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education and Research (CMN), University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain
| | - Josep M. Cambra
- Department of Medicine and Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education and Research (CMN), University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Parrilla
- Department of Medicine and Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education and Research (CMN), University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain
| | - Maria A. Gil
- Department of Medicine and Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education and Research (CMN), University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain
| | - Emilio A. Martinez
- Department of Medicine and Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education and Research (CMN), University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain
| | - Cristina A. Martinez
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (BKV), Division of Children's and Women's Health/Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Cristina A. Martinez
| | - Cristina Cuello
- Department of Medicine and Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education and Research (CMN), University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain
- Cristina Cuello
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Almiñana C, Dubuisson F, Bauersachs S, Royer E, Mermillod P, Blesbois E, Guignot F. Unveiling how vitrification affects the porcine blastocyst: clues from a transcriptomic study. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2022; 13:46. [PMID: 35303969 PMCID: PMC8932223 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-021-00672-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Currently, there is a high demand for efficient pig embryo cryopreservation procedures in the porcine industry as well as for genetic diversity preservation and research purposes. To date, vitrification (VIT) is the most efficient method for pig embryo cryopreservation. Despite a high number of embryos survives in vitro after vitrification/warming procedures, the in vivo embryo survival rates after embryo transfer are variable among laboratories. So far, most studies have focused on cryoprotective agents and devices, while the VIT effects on porcine embryonic gene expression remained unclear. The few studies performed were based on vitrified/warmed embryos that were cultured in vitro (IVC) to allow them to re–expand. Thus, the specific alterations of VIT, IVC, and the cumulative effect of both remained unknown. To unveil the VIT-specific embryonic alterations, gene expression in VIT versus (vs.) IVC embryos was analyzed. Additionally, changes derived from both VIT and IVC vs. control embryos (CO) were analyzed to confirm the VIT embryonic alterations. Three groups of in vivo embryos at the blastocyst stage were analyzed by RNA–sequencing: (1) VIT embryos (vitrified/warmed and cultured in vitro), (2) IVC embryos and (3) CO embryos. Results RNA–sequencing revealed three clearly different mRNA profiles for VIT, IVC and CO embryos. Comparative analysis of mRNA profiles between VIT and IVC identified 321, differentially expressed genes (DEG) (FDR < 0.006). In VIT vs. CO and IVC vs. CO, 1901 and 1519 DEG were found, respectively, with an overlap of 1045 genes. VIT-specific functional alterations were associated to response to osmotic stress, response to hormones, and developmental growth. While alterations in response to hypoxia and mitophagy were related to the sum of VIT and IVC effects. Conclusions Our findings revealed new insights into the VIT procedure-specific alterations of embryonic gene expression by first comparing differences in VIT vs. IVC embryos and second by an integrative transcriptome analysis including in vivo control embryos. The identified VIT alterations might reflect the transcriptional signature of the embryo cryodamage but also the embryo healing process overcoming the VIT impacts. Selected validated genes were pointed as potential biomarkers that may help to improve vitrification. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40104-021-00672-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Almiñana
- UMR PRC, INRAE 0085, CNRS 7247, Université de Tours, IFCE, F, -37380, Nouzilly, France. .,Functional Genomics Group, Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, VetSuisse Faculty Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - F Dubuisson
- UMR PRC, INRAE 0085, CNRS 7247, Université de Tours, IFCE, F, -37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - S Bauersachs
- Functional Genomics Group, Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, VetSuisse Faculty Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - E Royer
- UEPAO, INRAE, F, -37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - P Mermillod
- UMR PRC, INRAE 0085, CNRS 7247, Université de Tours, IFCE, F, -37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - E Blesbois
- UMR PRC, INRAE 0085, CNRS 7247, Université de Tours, IFCE, F, -37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - F Guignot
- UMR PRC, INRAE 0085, CNRS 7247, Université de Tours, IFCE, F, -37380, Nouzilly, France
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