Genetic mouse embryo assay: improving performance and quality testing for assisted reproductive technology (ART) with a functional bioassay

BACKGROUND

Growing concerns about safety of ART on human gametes, embryos, clinical outcomes and long-term health of offspring require improved methods of risk assessment to provide functionally relevant assays for quality control testing and pre-clinical studies prior to clinical implementation. The one-cell mouse embryo assay (MEA) is the most widely used for development and quality testing of human ART products; however, concerns exist due to the insensitivity/variability of this bioassay which lacks standardization and involves subjective analysis by morphology alone rather than functional analysis of the developing embryos. We hypothesized that improvements to MEA by the use of functional molecular biomarkers could enhance sensitivity and improve detection of suboptimal materials/conditions.

RESULTS

Fresh one-cell transgenic mouse embryos with green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression driven by Pou6f1 or Cdx2 control elements were harvested and cultured to blastocysts in varied test and control conditions to compare assessment by standard morphology alone versus the added dynamic expression of GFP for screening and selection of critical raw materials and detection of suboptimal culture conditions. Transgenic mouse embryos expressing functionally relevant biomarkers of normal early embryo development can be used to monitor the developmental impact of culture conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

This novel approach provides a superior MEA that is more meaningful and sensitive for detection of embryotoxicity than morphological assessment alone.

Expanded polyglutamine peptides alone are intrinsically cytotoxic and cause neurodegeneration in Drosophila

Several dominant, late-onset neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. Huntington's disease) are caused by expansion of polyglutamine (polyQ) repeats within specific proteins. The diverse, yet overlapping, pathology of these diseases could be due to novel deleterious functions unique to each protein or to a common pathophysiology mediated by the long polyQ chains themselves. By engineering Drosophila to express different polyQ peptides, we find that expanded polyQ chains alone are intrinsically cytotoxic and cause neuronal degeneration and early adult death. We further find that this intrinsic toxicity is dependent on cell type and polyQ length and that the inclusion of other amino acids modifies and reduces toxicity. This is the first in vivo evidence that polyQs, when removed from their disease gene context, cause neurotoxicity. These studies provide a basis for understanding the diverse clinical presentations in terms of the intrinsic cytotoxic effect of polyQ peptides being modulated by protein context. Parallel experiments in which cytotoxic polyQ expansions were engineered into Dishevelled, a Drosophila protein containing a naturally occurring polyQ tract, strongly suggest that the effect of a toxic polyQ peptide can be neutralized by protein context. This animal model provides a simple and effective means of screening for therapeutics that relieves the polyQ-induced lethality, independent of any particular disease gene. By quantifying the degree of lethality in several transgenic lines, we have identified a number of genetically modified strains that are suitable for eventual testing of compounds or genes that ameliorate the pathology of polyQ peptides.

A new efficient gene disruption cassette for repeated use in budding yeast

The dominant kanr marker gene plays an important role in gene disruption experiments in budding yeast, as this marker can be used in a variety of yeast strains lacking the conventional yeast markers. We have developed a loxP-kanMX-loxP gene disruption cassette, which combines the advantages of the heterologous kanr marker with those from the Cre-lox P recombination system. This disruption cassette integrates with high efficiency via homologous integration at the correct genomic locus (routinely 70%). Upon expression of the Cre recombinase the kanMX module is excised by an efficient recombination between the loxP sites, leaving behind a single loxP site at the chromosomal locus. This system allows repeated use of the kanr marker gene and will be of great advantage for the functional analysis of gene families.

Dissociating antifertility effects of GnRH-antagonist from its adverse effects on mating behavior in male rats

Antagonist analogues of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH-A) alone inhibit spermatogenesis in experimental animals, but concomitant decline in serum testosterone leads to abolition of mating behavior. We assessed if the antifertility effects of GnRH-A could be dissociated from its effects on mating behavior by combining it with a small dose of androgen. Seven groups of six adult male Wistar rats were treated for 70 days as follows: I) controls, II) GnRH-A alone (250 micrograms/day), III) GnRH-A + 0.05 mg testosterone enanthate (TE), IV) GnRH-A + 0.15 mg TE, V) GnRH-A + 0.50 mg TE, VI) GnRH-A + 1.50 mg TE, and VII) GnRH-A alone (recovery group). Testes, prostate, and seminal vesicle weights were markedly reduced by GnRH-A treatment alone. Doses of TE required to maintain prostate and seminal vesicle weights were between 0.15 and 0.50 mg. Testis weights were not restored to normal even by the highest dose of TE. Intratesticular sperm counts were markedly decreased by GnRH-A treatment and restored only at the highest dose of TE (1.50 mg). Five out of six animals in group II, six out of six animals in group III, and one out of six in group IV were azoospermic. When mated with normal females, all animals in groups I and VI were fertile, all animals in groups II, III, and IV were infertile, whereas only four out of six animals in group V were fertile. All measures of mating behavior were impaired by GnRH-A treatment and restored by the smallest dose of TE (0.05 mg).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Hormonal effects of ketoconazole in vivo in the male rat: mechanism of action

Ketoconazole, an antifungal agent, has been shown to lower serum testosterone (T) in man. Measurements of circulating precursors of T suggest that ketoconazole may inhibit 17,20-desmolase activity in the testis. To further elucidate its mechanism of action in vivo, we studied its effects on the pituitary-gonadal axis in the male rate. Two groups of normal male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with either oil or 25 mg ketoconazole in oil by im injection every 8 h for 21 days. Serum ketoconazole concentrations in the rat 2 h after the 25-mg dose were similar to those after oral administration of a much lower (1/33rd) dose to man. Ketoconazole treatment led to 50% suppression of serum T and prostate and seminal vesicle weights. Testis weights were not significantly affected. Intratesticular T concentrations showed a 50% decrease below the control level. Testicular 17 alpha-hydroxylase, 17,20-desmolase, and 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities in the ketoconazole-treated animals were significantly decreased in proportion to the decreases in serum and intratesticular T concentrations. Elevations of serum LH and FSH concentrations in the ketoconazole-treated rats were not proportionate to the decline in serum T concentration. Therefore, to exclude an additional inhibitory effect of ketoconazole at the pituitary level, we treated two groups of castrated male Sprague-Dawley rats with the same dose of ketoconazole or oil for 3 days. Serum LH and FSH concentrations were not significantly different in the two groups. In separate experiments, combined treatment of intact rats with GnRH agonist and ketoconazole for 21 days led to lower mean serum T concentrations and accessory organ weights than those achieved with either agent alone. We conclude that ketoconazole inhibits T synthesis, primarily by inhibiting the activity of multiple enzymes in the T biosynthetic pathway and has no direct effect at the pituitary level; ketoconazole metabolism in the rat is considerably different from that in man; and ketoconazole enhances the inhibitory effects of GnRH agonist.