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Wang Y, Guo Z, Zi C, Wu P, Lv X, Chen L, Chen F, Zhang G, Wang J. CircRNA expression in chicken granulosa cells illuminated with red light. Poult Sci 2022; 101:101734. [PMID: 35202895 PMCID: PMC8866055 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2022.101734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Red light (RL) can improve egg production in Jinghai Yellow hens. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are novel, non-coding RNAs, but the molecular mechanism underlying circRNA function during follicular development in hens under monochromatic light has not been established. Herein, we compared expression profiles of granulosa cells (GCs) from small yellow follicles (SYFs) from hens under RL and white light (WL). A total of 2,468 circRNAs were identified, of which 22 were differentially expressed (DE) in the RL and WL groups. DE circRNA host genes were enriched in ovarian steroidogenesis, and MAPK and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. Furthermore, DE circRNA_0320 and circRNA_0185 interacted with miR-143-3p, which targets the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor and is essential for GC differentiation and follicle development. These findings will facilitate further analysis of the molecular mechanism leading to GC development in hens raised under monochromatic light, which could lead to increased egg production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, P. R. China
| | - Zhenyu Guo
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, P. R. China
| | - Chen Zi
- Department of Pathology, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi 276000, Shandong Province, China
| | - Pengfei Wu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyang Lv
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, P. R. China
| | - Lan Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, P. R. China
| | - Fuxiang Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, P. R. China
| | - Genxi Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, P. R. China
| | - Jinyu Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, P. R. China.
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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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Gutierrez-Castillo E, Ming H, Foster B, Gatenby L, Mak CK, Pinto C, Bondioli K, Jiang Z. Effect of vitrification on global gene expression dynamics of bovine elongating embryos. Reprod Fertil Dev 2021; 33:338-348. [PMID: 33602389 DOI: 10.1071/rd20285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryo vitrification involves exposure to high concentrations of cryoprotectants and osmotic stress during cooling and warming in the cryopreservation process. Many of these factors can potentially affect gene expression. In this study, invitro-produced bovine embryos at the blastocyst stage were subjected to vitrification. Four recipients each were used for transferring non-vitrified (n=80) and vitrified (n=80) embryos. A total of 12 non-vitrified and 9 vitrified viable day-14 (D14) embryos were recovered by uterine flushing. RNA-seq analysis of the whole embryo or isolated trophectoderm (TE) from vitrified and fresh recovered D14 embryos revealed a total of 927 and 4376 genes with changed expression in embryos and TE isolates, respectively, as a result of vitrification. In addition, we found 671 and 61 genes commonly up- or downregulated in both vitrified whole embryos and TE. Commonly upregulated pathways by vitrification included epithelial adherens junctions, sirtuin signalling, germ cell-sertoli cell junction, ATM signalling, NER and protein ubiquitination pathways. The commonly downregulated pathways included EIF2 signalling, oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial dysfunction, regulation of eIF4 and p70S6K signalling and mTOR signalling pathways. Our analysis identified specific pathways and implicated specific gene expression patterns affecting embryo developmental competence that are important to cryopreservation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hao Ming
- School of Animal Sciences, AgCenter, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Brittany Foster
- School of Animal Sciences, AgCenter, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Lauren Gatenby
- School of Animal Sciences, AgCenter, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Chun Kuen Mak
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Carlos Pinto
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Kenneth Bondioli
- School of Animal Sciences, AgCenter, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA; and Corresponding authors. ;
| | - Zongliang Jiang
- School of Animal Sciences, AgCenter, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA; and Corresponding authors. ;
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Effect of Embryo Vitrification on the Steroid Biosynthesis of Liver Tissue in Rabbit Offspring. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21228642. [PMID: 33207830 PMCID: PMC7696440 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Preimplantation embryo manipulations during standard assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have significant repercussions on offspring. However, few studies to date have investigated the potential long-term outcomes associated with the vitrification procedure. Here, we performed an experiment to unravel the particular effects related to stress induced by embryo transfer and vitrification techniques on offspring phenotype from the foetal period through to prepuberal age, using a rabbit model. In addition, the focus was extended to the liver function at prepuberal age. We showed that, compared to naturally conceived animals (NC), offspring derived after embryo exposure to the transfer procedure (FT) or cryopreservation-transfer procedure (VT) exhibited variation in growth and body weight from foetal life to prepuberal age. Strikingly, we found a nonlinear relationship between FT and VT stressors, most of which were already present in the FT animals. Furthermore, we displayed evidence of variation in liver function at prepuberal age, most of which occurred in both FT and VT animals. The present major novel finding includes a significant alteration of the steroid biosynthesis profile. In summary, here we provide that embryonic manipulation during the vitrification process is linked with embryo phenotypic adaptation detected from foetal life to prepuberal age and suggests that this phenotypic variation may be associated, to a great extent, with the effect of embryo transfer.
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Metabolomic Analysis Reveals Changes in Preimplantation Embryos Following Fresh or Vitrified Transfer. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21197116. [PMID: 32993198 PMCID: PMC7582512 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Although assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs) are recognised as safe, and most of the offspring seem apparently healthy, there is clear evidence that ARTs are associated with changes in the embryo’s developmental trajectory, which incur physiological consequences during the prenatal and postnatal stages of life. The present study aimed to address the influence of early (day-3 embryos) embryo transfer and cryopreservation on embryo survival, size, and metabolome at the preimplantation stage (day-6 embryos). To this end, fresh-transferred (FT) and vitrified-transferred (VT) embryos were compared using naturally-conceived (NC) embryos as a control reference. The results show that as in vitro manipulation was increased (NC < FT < VT), both embryo survival rate (0.91 ± 0.02, 0.78 ± 0.05 and 0.63 ± 0.05, for NC, FT, and VT groups, respectively) and embryo size (3.21 ± 0.49 mm, 2.15 ± 0.51 mm, 1.76 ± 0.46 mm of diameter for NC, FT, and VT groups, respectively) were significantly decreased. Moreover, an unbiased metabolomics analysis showed overall down-accumulation in 40 metabolites among the three experimental groups, with embryo transfer and embryo cryopreservation procedures both exerting a cumulative effect. In this regard, targeted metabolomics findings revealed a significant reduction in some metabolites involved in metabolic pathways, such as the Krebs cycle, amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, and arachidonic acid metabolisms. Altogether, these findings highlight a synergistic effect between the embryo transfer and vitrification procedures in preimplantation embryos. However, the ex vivo manipulation during embryo transfer seemed to be the major trigger of the embryonic changes, as the deviations added by the vitrification process were relatively smaller.
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Juarez JD, Marco-Jiménez F, Lavara R, Vicente JS. Rederivation by Cryopreservation of a Paternal Line of Rabbits Suggests Exhaustion of Selection for Post-Weaning Daily Weight Gain after 37 Generations. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10081436. [PMID: 32824532 PMCID: PMC7460551 DOI: 10.3390/ani10081436] [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: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of a long-term selection for post-weaning daily weight gain after 37 generations, using vitrified embryos with 18 generational intervals to rederive two coetaneous populations, reducing or avoiding genetic drift, environmental and cryopreservation effects. This study reports that the selection programme had improved average daily weight gain without variations in adult body weight but, after 37 generations of selection, this trait seems exhausted. Abstract Rabbit selection programmes have mainly been evaluated using unselected or divergently selected populations, or populations rederived from cryopreserved embryos after a reduced number of generations. Nevertheless, unselected and divergent populations do not avoid genetic drift, while rederived animals seem to influence phenotypic traits such as birth and adult weights or prolificacy. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of a long-term selection for post-weaning average daily weight gain (ADG) over 37 generations with two rederived populations. Specifically, two coetaneous populations were derived from vitrified embryos with 18 generational intervals (R19 and R37), reducing or avoiding genetic drift and environmental and cryopreservation effects. After two generations of both rederived populations (R21 vs. R39 generations), all evaluated traits showed some progress as a result of the selection, the response being 0.113 g/day by generation. This response does not seem to affect the estimated Gompertz growth curve parameters in terms of the day, the weight at the inflexion point or the adult weight. Moreover, a sexual dimorphism favouring females was observed in this paternal line. Results demonstrated that the selection programme had improved ADG without variations in adult body weight but, after 37 generations of selection, this trait seems exhausted. Given the reduction in the cumulative reproductive performance and as a consequence in the selection pressure, or possibly/perhaps due to an unexpected effect, rederivation could be the cause of this weak selection response observed from generation 18 onwards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Daniel Juarez
- Facultad de Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Agraria de la Selva, Tingo María 10131, Peru;
| | - Francisco Marco-Jiménez
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain; (F.M.-J.); (R.L.)
| | - Raquel Lavara
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain; (F.M.-J.); (R.L.)
| | - José Salvador Vicente
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain; (F.M.-J.); (R.L.)
- Correspondence:
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Garcia-Dominguez X, Marco-Jiménez F, Peñaranda DS, Diretto G, García-Carpintero V, Cañizares J, Vicente JS. Long-term and transgenerational phenotypic, transcriptional and metabolic effects in rabbit males born following vitrified embryo transfer. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11313. [PMID: 32647175 PMCID: PMC7347584 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68195-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The advent of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in mammals involved an extraordinary change in the environment where the beginning of a new organism takes place. Under in vitro conditions, in which ART is currently being performed, it likely fails to mimic optimal in vivo conditions. This suboptimal environment could mediate in the natural developmental trajectory of the embryo, inducing lasting effects until later life stages that may be inherited by subsequent generations (transgenerational effects). Therefore, we evaluated the potential transgenerational effects of embryo exposure to the cryopreservation-transfer procedure in a rabbit model on the offspring phenotype, molecular physiology of the liver (transcriptome and metabolome) and reproductive performance during three generations (F1, F2 and F3). The results showed that, compared to naturally-conceived animals (NC group), progeny generated after embryo exposure to the cryopreservation-transfer procedure (VT group) exhibited lower body growth, which incurred lower adult body weight in the F1 (direct effects), F2 (intergenerational effects) and F3 (transgenerational effects) generations. Furthermore, VT animals showed intergenerational effects on heart weight and transgenerational effects on liver weight. The RNA-seq data of liver tissue revealed 642 differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) in VT animals from the F1 generation. Of those, 133 were inherited from the F2 and 120 from the F3 generation. Accordingly, 151, 190 and 159 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were detected from the F1, F2 and F3, respectively. Moreover, targeted metabolomics analysis demonstrated that transgenerational effects were mostly presented in the non-polar fraction. Functional analysis of molecular data suggests weakened zinc and fatty acid metabolism across the generations, associated with alterations in a complex molecular network affecting global hepatic metabolism that could be associated with the phenotype of VT animals. However, these VT animals showed proper reproductive performance, which verified a functional health status. In conclusion, our results establish the long-term transgenerational effects following a vitrified embryo transfer procedure. We showed that the VT phenotype could be the result of the manifestation of embryonic developmental plasticity in response to the stressful conditions during ART procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximo Garcia-Dominguez
- Laboratory of Biotechnology of Reproduction, Institute for Animal Science and Technology (ICTA), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | - Francisco Marco-Jiménez
- Laboratory of Biotechnology of Reproduction, Institute for Animal Science and Technology (ICTA), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | - David S Peñaranda
- Laboratory of Biotechnology of Reproduction, Institute for Animal Science and Technology (ICTA), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | - Gianfranco Diretto
- National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Casaccia Research Centre, 00123, Rome, Italy
| | - Víctor García-Carpintero
- Institute for the Conservation and Breeding of Agricultural Biodiversity (COMAV-UPV), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | - Joaquín Cañizares
- Institute for the Conservation and Breeding of Agricultural Biodiversity (COMAV-UPV), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | - José S Vicente
- Laboratory of Biotechnology of Reproduction, Institute for Animal Science and Technology (ICTA), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022, Valencia, Spain.
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Kulikova B, Kovac M, Bauer M, Tomkova M, Olexikova L, Vasicek J, Balazi A, Makarevich AV, Chrenek P. Survivability of rabbit amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stem cells post slow-freezing or vitrification. Acta Histochem 2019; 121:491-499. [PMID: 31005288 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2019.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Revised: 03/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
This work aimed to evaluate the effect of two distinct cryopreservation procedures - conventional slow-freezing and vitrification, on survivability and mesenchymal marker expression stability of rabbit amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stem cells (rAF-MSCs). Cells at passage 2 were slowly frozen, using 10% of dimethylsulfoxide, or vitrified, using 40% of ethylene glycol, 0.5 M sucrose and 18% Ficoll 70. After three months storage in liquid nitrogen, viability, chromosomal stability, ultrastructure, surface and intracellular marker expression and differentiation potential of cells were evaluated immediately post-thawing/warming and after additional culture for 48-72 h. Our results showed decreased (P ≤ 0.05) viability of cells post-thawing/warming. However, after additional culture, the viability was similar to those in fresh counterparts in both cryopreserved groups. Increase (P ≤ 0.05) in the population doubling time of vitrified cells was observed, while doubling time of slow-frozen cells remained similar to non-cryopreserved cells. No changes in karyotype (chromosomal numbers) were observed in frozen/vitrified AF-MSCs, and histological staining confirmed similar differentiation potential of fresh and frozen/vitrified cells. Analysis of mesenchymal marker expression by qPCR showed that both cryopreservation approaches significantly affected expression of CD73 and CD90 surface markers. These changes were not detected using flow cytometry. In summary, the conventional slow-freezing and vitrification are reliable and effective approaches for the cryopreservation of rabbit AF-MSCs. Nevertheless, our study confirmed affected expression of some mesenchymal markers following cryopreservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbora Kulikova
- Research Institute for Animal Production in Nitra, NAFC, Hlohovecká 2, 951 41 Lužianky, Slovak Republic.
| | - Michal Kovac
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science, Slovak University of Agriculture, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovak Republic
| | - Miroslav Bauer
- Research Institute for Animal Production in Nitra, NAFC, Hlohovecká 2, 951 41 Lužianky, Slovak Republic; Faculty of Natural Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Nábrežie mládeže 91, 949 74 Nitra, Slovak Republic
| | - Maria Tomkova
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science, Slovak University of Agriculture, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovak Republic
| | - Lucia Olexikova
- Research Institute for Animal Production in Nitra, NAFC, Hlohovecká 2, 951 41 Lužianky, Slovak Republic
| | - Jaromir Vasicek
- Research Institute for Animal Production in Nitra, NAFC, Hlohovecká 2, 951 41 Lužianky, Slovak Republic; Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science, Slovak University of Agriculture, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovak Republic
| | - Andrej Balazi
- Research Institute for Animal Production in Nitra, NAFC, Hlohovecká 2, 951 41 Lužianky, Slovak Republic
| | - Alexander V Makarevich
- Research Institute for Animal Production in Nitra, NAFC, Hlohovecká 2, 951 41 Lužianky, Slovak Republic
| | - Peter Chrenek
- Research Institute for Animal Production in Nitra, NAFC, Hlohovecká 2, 951 41 Lužianky, Slovak Republic; Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science, Slovak University of Agriculture, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovak Republic; Faculty of Animal Breeding and Biology, University of Technology and Life Sciences, Al. prof. S. Kaliskiego 7, 85 796 Bydgoszcz, Poland
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Cryosurvival of rabbit embryos obtained after superovulation with corifollitropin alfa with or without LH. Anim Reprod Sci 2018; 192:321-327. [PMID: 29625802 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2018.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Revised: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The efficiency of an embryo bank depends on provision of optimal conditions for recovery, cryopreservation and transfer to a breed or strain. In this sense, increasing the number of embryos available using superovulation should improve the cryobank efficiency. However, vagueness of response to conventional protocols to control or increase ovarian response and the quality of oocytes and embryos and their cryotolerance remain a challenge. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of corifollitropin alpha (CTP) and a recombinant human FSH (rhFSH), alone or supplemented with rhLH, on embryo cryosurvival by in vitro development and OCT4 and NANOG mRNA abundance at blastocyst stage and offspring rate. In vitro development of vitrified embryos was not significantly affected by superstimulation with or without rhLH supplementation, resulting in similar development rates to those of the control groups (fresh and vitrified embryos from non-superstimulated donor does). Blastocysts developed from vitrified embryos showed higher levels of OCT4 transcript abundance than fresh control, while NANOG transcript abundance was only higher in the blastocysts developed from vitrified embryos after superstimulation treatment in comparison with control groups. The implantation and offspring rates at birth were negatively affected by supplementation with rhLH. Both rhFSH or CTP vitrified embryo groups showed an implantation rate similar to those of the control groups, but an offspring rate lower than control. In conclusion, embryos produced using corifollitropin alpha did not compromise the cryosurvival of vitrified embryos in the rabbit. In addition, this study points out the negative effect of rhLH supplementation in terms of offspring rate on embryo vitrification.
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Gupta A, Singh J, Dufort I, Robert C, Dias FCF, Anzar M. Transcriptomic difference in bovine blastocysts following vitrification and slow freezing at morula stage. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0187268. [PMID: 29095916 PMCID: PMC5667772 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryopreservation is known for its marked deleterious effects on embryonic health. Bovine compact morulae were vitrified or slow-frozen, and post-warm morulae were cultured to the expanded blastocyst stage. Blastocysts developed from vitrified and slow-frozen morulae were subjected to microarray analysis and compared with blastocysts developed from unfrozen control morulae for differential gene expression. Morula to blastocyst conversion rate was higher (P < 0.05) in control (72%) and vitrified (77%) than in slow-frozen (34%) morulae. Total 20 genes were upregulated and 44 genes were downregulated in blastocysts developed from vitrified morulae (fold change ≥ ± 2, P < 0.05) in comparison with blastocysts developed from control morulae. In blastocysts developed from slow-frozen morulae, 102 genes were upregulated and 63 genes were downregulated (fold change ≥ ± 1.5, P < 0.05). Blastocysts developed from vitrified morulae exhibited significant changes in gene expression mainly involving embryo implantation (PTGS2, CALB1), lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species generation (HSD3B1, AKR1B1, APOA1) and cell differentiation (KRT19, CLDN23). However, blastocysts developed from slow-frozen morulae showed changes in the expression of genes related to cell signaling (SPP1), cell structure and differentiation (DCLK2, JAM2 and VIM), and lipid metabolism (PLA2R1 and SMPD3). In silico comparison between blastocysts developed form vitrified and slow-frozen morulae revealed similar changes in gene expression as between blastocysts developed from vitrified and control morulae. In conclusion, blastocysts developed form vitrified morulae demonstrated better post-warming survival than blastocysts developed from slow-frozen morulae but their gene expression related to lipid metabolism, steroidogenesis, cell differentiation and placentation changed significantly (≥ 2 fold). Slow freezing method killed more morulae than vitrification but those which survived up to blastocyst stage did not express ≥ 2 fold change in their gene expression as compared with blastocysts from control morulae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisha Gupta
- Agriculture and Agri-food, Saskatoon Research and Development Center, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Jaswant Singh
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Isabelle Dufort
- Centre de recherche en biologie de la reproduction, Faculté des sciences de l'agriculture et del'alimentation Pavillon INAF, local 2742 Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Claude Robert
- Centre de recherche en biologie de la reproduction, Faculté des sciences de l'agriculture et del'alimentation Pavillon INAF, local 2742 Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Fernanda Caminha Faustino Dias
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Muhammad Anzar
- Agriculture and Agri-food, Saskatoon Research and Development Center, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- * E-mail: ,
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Loux SC, Scoggin KE, Troedsson MHT, Squires EL, Ball BA. Characterization of the cervical mucus plug in mares. Reproduction 2017; 153:197-210. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-16-0396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Revised: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The cervical mucus plug (CMP) is believed to play an integral role in the maintenance of pregnancy in the mare, primarily by inhibiting microbial entry. Unfortunately, very little is known about its composition or origin. To determine the proteomic composition of the CMP, we collected CMPs from mares (n = 4) at 9 months of gestation, and proteins were subsequently analyzed by nano-LC–MS/MS. Results were searched against EquCab2.0, and proteomic pathways were predicted by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Histologic sections of the CMP were stained with H&E and PAS. To identify the origin of highly abundant proteins in the CMP, we performed qPCR on endometrial and cervical mucosal mRNA from mares in estrus, diestrus as well as mares at 4 and 10 m gestation on transcripts for lactotransferrin, uterine serpin 14, uteroglobin, uteroferrin, deleted in malignant brain tumors 1 and mucins 4, 5b and 6. Overall, we demonstrated that the CMP is composed of a complex milieu of proteins during late gestation, many of which play an important role in immune function. Proteins traditionally considered to be endometrial proteins were found to be produced by the cervical mucosa suggesting that the primary source of the CMP is the cervical mucosa itself. In summary, composition of the equine CMP is specifically regulated not only during pregnancy but also throughout the estrous cycle. The structural and compositional changes serve to provide both a structural barrier as well as a physiological barrier during pregnancy to prevent infection of the fetus and fetal membranes.
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12
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Saenz-de-Juano MD, Marco-Jiménez F, Vicente JS. Embryo transfer manipulation cause gene expression variation in blastocysts that disrupt implantation and offspring rates at birth in rabbit. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2016; 207:50-55. [PMID: 27825027 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2016.10.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Revised: 08/27/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In the current study we aimed to evaluate the effect of embryo transfer on gene expression during pre-implantation development and its consequences on implantation rate, offspring rate at birth and embryonic and fetal losses in the rabbit model. STUDY DESIGN The mRNA expressions of 8 candidate genes were compared between 6-day-old in vivo-produced embryos (non-manipulated embryos) to those of 6-day-old embryos previously recovery at the third day of development and transferred into recipient rabbit females (manipulated embryos). Furthermore, we compared between both experimental groups the implantation rate and offspring rate at birth and embryonic and fetal losses. RESULTS Differences in transcript abundance of OCT4, C1qTNF1, EMP1 and TNFAIP6 were observed in transferred embryos. In addition, lower implantation and offspring rates at birth were obtained in transferred embryos than in the control group. In addition, embryonic losses were significantly higher in the transferred group than in the control. However, fetal losses were similar between groups. CONCLUSION The findings of the current study show that embryo transfer manipulation influenced mRNA expression of late blastocysts prior to implantation, resulting in higher gestational losses as a consequence of faulty embryonic implantation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francisco Marco-Jiménez
- Institute of Science and Animal Technology, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Jose Salvador Vicente
- Institute of Science and Animal Technology, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
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13
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Naturil-Alfonso C, Lavara R, Vicente JS, Marco-Jiménez F. Effects of Female Dietary Restriction in a Rabbit Growth Line During Rearing on Reproductive Performance and Embryo Quality. Reprod Domest Anim 2015; 51:114-22. [DOI: 10.1111/rda.12653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 11/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- C Naturil-Alfonso
- Institute of Science and Animal Technology; Laboratorio de Biotecnología de la Reproducción; Universidad Politécnica de Valencia; Valencia Spain
| | - R Lavara
- Institute of Science and Animal Technology; Laboratorio de Biotecnología de la Reproducción; Universidad Politécnica de Valencia; Valencia Spain
- Department of Production and Animal Health; General Veterinary Health and the Science and Technology of Food Products; University CEU Cardenal Herrera; Valencia Spain
| | - JS Vicente
- Institute of Science and Animal Technology; Laboratorio de Biotecnología de la Reproducción; Universidad Politécnica de Valencia; Valencia Spain
| | - F Marco-Jiménez
- Institute of Science and Animal Technology; Laboratorio de Biotecnología de la Reproducción; Universidad Politécnica de Valencia; Valencia Spain
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14
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Nonsurgical deep uterine transfer of vitrified, in vivo-derived, porcine embryos is as effective as the default surgical approach. Sci Rep 2015; 5:10587. [PMID: 26030839 PMCID: PMC4450750 DOI: 10.1038/srep10587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Surgical procedures are prevalent in porcine embryo transfer (ET) programs, where the use of vitrified embryos is quasi non-existent. This study compared the effectiveness of surgical vs nonsurgical deep uterine (NsDU) ET using vitrified, in vivo-derived embryos (morulae and blastocysts) on the reproductive performance and welfare of the recipients. The recipient sows (n=122) were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: surgical ET with 30 vitrified-warmed embryos (S-30 group, control); NsDU-ET with 30 vitrified-warmed embryos (NsDU-30 group) and NsDU-ET with 40 vitrified-warmed embryos (NsDU-40 group). Regardless of embryo stage, the NsDU-ET with 40 embryos presented similar rates of farrowing (72.7%) and litter size (9.9 ± 2.1 piglets) as the customary surgical procedure (75.0% and 9.6 ± 2.7 piglets). Numbers of ET-embryos appeared relevant, since the NsDU-ET with 30 embryos resulted in a decrease (P<0.05) in farrowing rates (38.9%) and litter sizes (5.7 ± 2.4 piglets). In conclusion, we demonstrate for the first time that farrowing rate and litter size following a NsDU-ET procedure increase in function of a larger number of transferred vitrified embryos, with fertility equalizing that obtained with the invasive surgical approach. The results open new possibilities for the widespread use of non-invasive ET in pigs.
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15
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Naturil-Alfonso C, Jiménez-Trigos E, Vicente JS, Marco-Jiménez F. Effect of in vitro and in vivo conditions on development of parthenogenetic rabbit embryos after vitrification. Cryobiology 2015; 71:91-6. [PMID: 25999044 DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2015.05.003] [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: 02/03/2015] [Revised: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Parthenote embryos offer multiple opportunities in biotechnological research, so it is important to analyse the possibilities for their cryopreservation in order to establish a biobank. The aim of this experiment was to determine the effect of culture conditions and vitrification on rabbit parthenogenetic embryos. Parthenotes were cultured under in vivo and in vitro conditions until day 3 (late morula/early blastocyst), when they were vitrified. Immediately after warming, they were newly cultured under in vivo and in vitro conditions till day 6 (blastocyst stage). Both culture conditions showed similar late morula/early blastocyst (0.39±0.056 vs. 0.46±0.043, for in vivo and in vitro, respectively) and blastocyst rates (0.12±0.068 vs. 0.13±0.070, for in vivo and in vitro, respectively). However, no parthenote was recovered when a combination of culture conditions was performed. To our best knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the ability of rabbit parthenogenetic embryos to develop after vitrification, with similar embryo development after in vivo or in vitro culture. Nevertheless, our results highlight the importance of culture conditions on the morphology of parthenote embryos. Therefore, we have described that special attention should be paid on culture conditions to generate parthenote embryos, with a view to their subsequent use, for example in embryonic stem cell production.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Naturil-Alfonso
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Laboratorio de Biotecnología de la Reproducción, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - E Jiménez-Trigos
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Laboratorio de Biotecnología de la Reproducción, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - J S Vicente
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Laboratorio de Biotecnología de la Reproducción, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - F Marco-Jiménez
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Laboratorio de Biotecnología de la Reproducción, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
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16
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Lavara R, Baselga M, Marco-Jiménez F, Vicente JS. Embryo vitrification in rabbits: Consequences for progeny growth. Theriogenology 2015; 84:674-80. [PMID: 26007610 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2015.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Revised: 04/28/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this research is to examine if there are any effects of the rederivation procedures on rabbit growth pattern and on weight of different organ in adults. For this purpose, three experiments were conducted on two different groups of animals (control group and vitrified-transferred group) to evaluate the possible effect of embryo manipulation (vitrification and transfer procedures) on future growth traits. The first experiment studies body weight from 1 to 9 weeks of age from the two groups. The second experiment describes the growth curve of progeny from experimental groups and analyzes their Gompertz curve parameters, including the estimation of adult body weight. The third experiment has been developed to study if there are any differences in different organ weight in adult males from the two experimental groups. In general, the results indicate that rederivation procedures had effect on the phenotypic expression of growth traits. The results showed that rabbit produced by vitrification and embryo transfer had higher body weight in the first four weeks of age than control progeny. Results from body weight (a parameter) and b parameter estimated by fitting the Gompertz growth curve did not show any difference between experimental groups. However, differences related with growth velocity (k parameter of the Gompertz curve) were observed among them, showing that the control group had higher growth velocity than the vitrified-transferred group. In addition, we found that liver weight at 40th week of age exhibits significant differences between the experimental groups. The liver weight was higher in the control males than in the VF males. Although the present results indicate that vitrification and transfer procedures might affect some traits related with growth in rabbits, further research is needed to assess the mechanisms involved in the appearance of these phenotypes and if these phenotypes could be transferred to the future progeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Lavara
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain; INRA, UMR1388 Génétique, Physiologie et Systèmes d'Elevage, Castanet-Tolosan, France.
| | - M Baselga
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - F Marco-Jiménez
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - J S Vicente
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
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17
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Effect of Embryo Vitrification on Rabbit Foetal Placenta Proteome during Pregnancy. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125157. [PMID: 25915775 PMCID: PMC4411116 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Very limited information on the post-implantatory effects of vitrification has been published till now. We observed in a previous study that the vitrification procedure for the cryopreservation of embryos introduced transcriptomic and proteomic modifications in the rabbit foetal placenta at the middle of gestation. Now, we have conducted a proteomic study to determine whether protein alterations in the foetal placenta induced by the vitrification procedure remain during pregnancy. In this study, we used 2D-DIGE and mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-TOF and LC-MS/MS analysis) to identify the protein changes during middle and late stages of gestation (Day 14 and Day 24, respectively) in rabbit foetal placenta. We identified 11 differentially expressed proteins at Day 14 and 13 proteins at Day 24. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifiers PXD001840 and PXD001836. In addition, we demonstrate the presence of three proteins, serum albumin, isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 [NADP+], and phosphoglycerate mutase 1, which were altered during pregnancy. We demonstrate the existence of changes in foetal placental protein during pregnancy induced by the vitrification procedure, which brings into question whether vitrification effects observed during foetal development could lead to physiological and metabolic disorders in adulthood. This effect, taken together with other effects reported in the literature, suggests that embryo cryopreservation is not neutral.
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18
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Zhao X, Hao H, Du W, Zhu H. Effect of vitrification on the microRNA transcriptome in mouse blastocysts. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0123451. [PMID: 25853900 PMCID: PMC4390370 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vitrification is commonly used in the cryopreservation of mammalian blastocysts to overcome the temporal and spatial limitations of embryo transfer. Previous studies have shown that the implantation ability of vitrified blastocysts is impaired and that microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate the critical genes for embryo implantation. However, little information is available about the effect of vitrification on the miRNA transcriptome in blastocysts. In the present study, the miRNA transcriptomes in fresh and vitrified mouse blastocysts were analyzed by miRNA Taqman assay based method, and the results were validated using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Then, the differentially expressed miRNAs were assessed using the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases. Overall, 760 known mouse miRNAs were detected in the vitrified and fresh mouse blastocysts. Of these, the expression levels of five miRNAs differed significantly: in the vitrified blastocysts, four miRNAs (mmu-miR-199a-5p, mmu-miR-329-3p, mmu-miR-136-5p and mmu-miR-16-1-3p) were upregulated, and one (mmu-miR-212-3p) was downregulated. The expression levels of all miRNAs measured by the miRNA Taqman assay based method and qRT-PCR were consistent. The four upregulated miRNAs were predicted to regulate 877 candidate target genes, and the downregulated miRNA was predicted to regulate 231 genes. The biological analysis further showed that the differentially expressed miRNAs mainly regulated the implantation of embryos. In conclusion, the results of our study showed that vitrification significantly altered the miRNA transcriptome in mouse blastocysts, which may decrease the implantation potential of vitrified blastocysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueming Zhao
- Embryo Biotechnology and Reproduction Laboratory, Institute of Animal Sciences (IAS), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Haisheng Hao
- Embryo Biotechnology and Reproduction Laboratory, Institute of Animal Sciences (IAS), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Weihua Du
- Embryo Biotechnology and Reproduction Laboratory, Institute of Animal Sciences (IAS), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Huabin Zhu
- Embryo Biotechnology and Reproduction Laboratory, Institute of Animal Sciences (IAS), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P. R. China
- * E-mail:
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19
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Saenz-de-Juano MD, Marco-Jimenez F, Schmaltz-Panneau B, Jimenez-Trigos E, Viudes-de-Castro MP, Peñaranda DS, Jouneau L, Lecardonnel J, Lavara R, Naturil-Alfonso C, Duranthon V, Vicente JS. Vitrification alters rabbit foetal placenta at transcriptomic and proteomic level. Reproduction 2014; 147:789-801. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-14-0019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Although numerous studies have demonstrated that cryopreservation alters gene expression, less is known about those embryos that implanted successfully and continued in gestation. To raise the question of the neutrality of this technique, we examine the effects of vitrification through gestation in rabbit before and after the implantation. We monitored the distribution of losses of 569 vitrified morulae, observing that embryos which reach the last pre-implantatory stage are able to implant. However, we found that not all implanted embryos had the ability to continue with their gestation. The results reveal that vitrification decreased foetus and maternal placenta weights at mid-gestation, but led to a higher offspring birth weight. A novel finding is that while no differences in gene expression were detected in pre-implantatory embryos at day 6, vitrification affects a gene and protein expression in the placenta at day 14. Our results for first time reveal strong evidence of modifications in implanted embryos subjected to vitrification, suggesting that the crucial step that vitrified embryos must overcome is the placenta formation. On the basis of these findings, our work leaves the question open as to whether the effects we observed that cause vitrification during foetal development could give rise to some type of physiological or metabolic alteration in adulthood.
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20
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Saenz-de-Juano MD, Marco-Jimenez F, Viudes-de-Castro MP, Lavara R, Vicente JS. Direct Comparison of the Effects of Slow Freezing and Vitrification on Late Blastocyst Gene Expression, Development, Implantation and Offspring of Rabbit Morulae. Reprod Domest Anim 2014; 49:505-11. [DOI: 10.1111/rda.12320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 03/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- MD Saenz-de-Juano
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal; Universidad Politécnica de Valencia; Valencia Spain
| | - F Marco-Jimenez
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal; Universidad Politécnica de Valencia; Valencia Spain
| | - MP Viudes-de-Castro
- Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Animal; Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias; Segorbe Spain
| | - R Lavara
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal; Universidad Politécnica de Valencia; Valencia Spain
| | - JS Vicente
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal; Universidad Politécnica de Valencia; Valencia Spain
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21
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Lavara R, Baselga M, Marco-Jiménez F, Vicente JS. Long-term and transgenerational effects of cryopreservation on rabbit embryos. Theriogenology 2014; 81:988-92. [PMID: 24581589 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2014.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2013] [Revised: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The short-term effects of cryopreservation and embryo transfer are well documented (reduced embryo viability, changes in pattern expression), but little is known about their long-term effects. We examined the possibility that embryo vitrification and transfer in rabbit could have an impact on the long-term reproductive physiology of the offspring and whether these phenotypes could be transferred to the progeny. Vitrified rabbit embryos were warmed and transferred to recipient females (F0). The offspring of the F0 generation were the F1 generation (cryopreserved animals). Females from F1 generation offspring were bred to F1 males to generate an F2 generation. In addition, two counterpart groups of noncryopreserved animals were bred and housed simultaneously to F1 and F2 generations (CF1 and CF2, respectively). The reproductive traits studied in all studied groups were litter size (LS), number born alive at birth (BA), and postnatal survival at Day 28 (number of weaned/number born alive expressed as percentage). The reproductive traits were analyzed using Bayesian methodology. Features of the estimated marginal posterior distributions of the differences between F1 and their counterparts (F1 - CF1) and between F2 and their counterparts (F2 - CF2) in reproductive characters found that vitrification and transfer procedures cause a consistent increase in LS and BA between F1 and CF1 females (more than 1.4 kits in LS and more than 1.3 BA) and also between F2 and CF2 females (0.96 kits in LS and 0.94 BA). We concluded that embryo cryopreservation and transfer procedures have long-term effects on derived female reproduction (F1 females) and transgenerational effects on female F1 offspring (F2 females).
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Affiliation(s)
- R Lavara
- Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Camino de Vera, s/n, 46071-Valencia, Spain; Departamento de Producción Animal, Sanidad Animal, Salud Pública Veterinaria y Ciência y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad CEU-Cardenal Herrera, Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain.
| | - M Baselga
- Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Camino de Vera, s/n, 46071-Valencia, Spain
| | - F Marco-Jiménez
- Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Camino de Vera, s/n, 46071-Valencia, Spain
| | - J S Vicente
- Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Camino de Vera, s/n, 46071-Valencia, Spain
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