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Wiesak T, Goryszewska-Szczurek E. Effect of vitrification on the expression of genes in porcine blastocysts derived from in vitro matured oocytes. Syst Biol Reprod Med 2022; 68:239-246. [PMID: 35722676 DOI: 10.1080/19396368.2022.2072788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to examine the effect of vitrification on the expression of genes that are crucial for porcine early embryo development; cathepsin B (CTSB), growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9), caudal type homeobox 2 (CDX2), and OCT-4, which play an important role in the maintenance of embryonic cell pluripotency. Their gene expression was investigated in expanded blastocysts (day 6-7) derived from in vitro matured oocytes. The quantitative real-time PCR method was used to assess the amount of relative specific transcripts in 20 vitrified (treatment group) and 32 fresh non-vitrified (control group) blastocysts. Vitrification was performed using 7.5% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) plus 7.5% ethylene glycol (EG), and in the final step, 15% DMSO plus 15% EG and a 0.5 M sucrose solution and cryotop as a vitrification device. The blastocysts were warmed in 1 M, 0.5 M, and 0.25 M sucrose solution and kept in a culture medium for six hours before their fixation and further qPCR analysis. A significant upregulation in the targeted genes CTSB (p<.006), GDF9 (p<.04), and CDX2 (p<.003) was observed in the vitrified embryos compared to the fresh control group. Interestingly, the OCT-4 mRNA expression level was not affected by vitrification and remained comparable to that of the fresh non-vitrified embryos. In summary, the results of this pilot study showed, that vitrification induced substantial alteration in the expression of CTSB, GDF9, and CDX2 genes but did not influence the expression of OCT-4 gene in porcine in vitro derived blastocysts. Our data on the expression of developmentally important genes in vitrified porcine blastocyst may facilitate: (1) future improvements in culture conditions and/or cryopreservation protocol and (2) understanding the mechanism(s) of cryoinjuries inducing compromised post-thaw embryo development followed by the poor pregnancy outcome after blastocyst transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Wiesak
- Department of Gamete and Embryo Biology, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Ewelina Goryszewska-Szczurek
- Department of Gamete and Embryo Biology, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn, Poland
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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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Xiang D, Jia B, Guo J, Shao Q, Hong Q, Wei H, Quan G, Wu G. Transcriptome Analysis of mRNAs and Long Non-Coding RNAs During Subsequent Embryo Development of Porcine Cloned Zygotes After Vitrification. Front Genet 2022; 12:753327. [PMID: 34976007 PMCID: PMC8718616 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.753327] [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: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryopreservation of porcine cloned zygotes has important implications for biotechnology and biomedicine research; however, lower embryo developmental potential remains an urgent problem to be resolved. For exploring the sublethal cryodamages during embryo development, this study was designed to acquire the mRNA and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) profiles of 2-cells, 4-cells and blastocysts derived from vitrified porcine cloned zygotes using transcriptome sequencing. We identified 167 differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs and 516 DE lncRNAs in 2-cell stage, 469 DE mRNAs and 565 lncRNAs in 4-cell stage, and 389 DE mRNAs and 816 DE lncRNAs in blastocyst stage. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the DE mRNAs during embryo development were involved in many regulatory mechanisms related to cell cycle, cell proliferation, apoptosis, metabolism and others. Moreover, the target genes of DE lncRNAs in the three embryonic stages were also enriched in many key GO terms or pathways such as “defense response”, “linoleic acid metabolic process”, “embryonic axis specification”, “negative regulation of protein neddylation”, etc., In conclusion, the present study provided comprehensive transcriptomic data about mRNAs and lncRNAs for the vitrified porcine cloned zygotes during different developmental stages, which contributed to further understand the potential cryodamage mechanisms responsible for impaired embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Decai Xiang
- Yunnan Provincial Genebank 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, China
| | - Baoyu Jia
- Key Laboratory of Animal Gene Editing and Animal Cloning in Yunnan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Jianxiong Guo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Gene Editing and Animal Cloning in Yunnan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Qingyong Shao
- Yunnan Provincial Genebank 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, China
| | - Qionghua Hong
- Yunnan Provincial Genebank 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, China
| | - Hongjiang Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Gene Editing and Animal Cloning in Yunnan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Guobo Quan
- Yunnan Provincial Genebank 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, China
| | - Guoquan Wu
- Yunnan Provincial Genebank 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, China
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Xingzhu D, Qingrui Z, Keren C, Yuxi L, Yunpeng H, Shien Z, Xiangwei F. Cryopreservation of Porcine Embryos: Recent Updates and Progress. Biopreserv Biobank 2021; 19:210-218. [PMID: 33625892 DOI: 10.1089/bio.2020.0074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryopreservation of embryos is important for long-distance embryo transfer and conservation of genetic resources. Porcine research is important for animal husbandry and biomedical research. However, porcine embryos are difficult to cryopreserve because of their high cytoplasmic lipid content and sensitivity to chilling stress. Vitrification is more efficient than slow freezing, and vitrification is mostly used in embryo cryopreservation. So far, the vitrification process of porcine embryos has been continuously improved, resulting in improved survival rates of warmed embryos and farrowing rates after the transplant procedure. It is worth noting that automatic vitrification has made great progress, which is expected to promote the standardization and application of vitrification. In this article, the vitrification process of porcine embryos at the blastula stage and early development stages is reviewed in detail. In addition, the efficiency of different vitrification systems was compared. In addition, we summarize technology that can improve the survival rate of cryopreserved porcine embryos, such as delipidation methods (including physical delipidation and chemical delipidation) and medium improvements (including chemically defined media and adding antioxidants). Meanwhile, gene expression changes during cryopreservation are also elaborated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Du Xingzhu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuan Qingrui
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Cheng Keren
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Luo Yuxi
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Hou Yunpeng
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhu Shien
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Fu Xiangwei
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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