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de Lima CB, do Amaral DT, Ispada J, Dos Santos ÉC, Fontes PK, Nogueira MFG, Milazzotto MP. Dynamics of transcription is affected by oxygen tension and developmental speed during in vitro production of bovine embryos. Reprod Domest Anim 2024; 59:e14620. [PMID: 38798166 DOI: 10.1111/rda.14620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
This study examines the impact of oxygen tension and embryo kinetics on gene transcription dynamics in pathways crucial for embryonic preimplantation development, including lipid metabolism, carbohydrate transport and metabolism, mitochondrial function, stress response, apoptosis and transcription regulation. Bovine embryos were generated in vitro and allocated into two groups based on oxygen tension (20% or 5%) at 18 h post insemination (hpi). At 40 hpi, embryos were categorized into Fast (≥4 cells) or Slow (2 cells) groups, resulting in four experimental groups: FCL20, FCL5, SCL20 and SCL5. Embryo collection also occurred at 72 hpi (16-cell stage; groups FMO20, FMO5, SMO20 and SMO5) and at 168 hpi (expanded blastocyst (BL) stage; groups FBL20, FBL5, SBL20 and SBL5). Pools of three embryos per group were analysed in four replicates using inventoried TaqMan assays specific for Bos taurus, targeting 93 genes. Gene expression patterns were analysed using the K-means algorithm, revealing three main clusters: genes with low relative abundance at the cleavage (CL) and 16-cell morula (MO) stages but increased at the BL stage (cluster 1); genes with higher abundances at CL but decreasing at MO and BL (cluster 2); and genes with low levels at CL, higher levels at MO and decreased levels at BL (cluster 3). Within each cluster, genes related to epigenetic mechanisms, cell differentiation events and glucose metabolism were particularly influenced by differences in developmental kinetics and oxygen tension. Fast-developing embryos, particularly those cultured under low oxygen tension, exhibited transcript dynamics more closely resembling that reported in vivo-produced embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Bruna de Lima
- Centre de Recherche en Reproduction, Développement et Santé Intergénérationnelle (CRDSI), Département des Sciences Animales, Université Laval, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
- Laboratory of Embryonic Metabolism and Epigenetic, Center of Natural and Human Science, Federal University of ABC, Santo Andre, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Jéssica Ispada
- Laboratory of Embryonic Metabolism and Epigenetic, Center of Natural and Human Science, Federal University of ABC, Santo Andre, SP, Brazil
| | - Érika Cristina Dos Santos
- Laboratory of Embryonic Metabolism and Epigenetic, Center of Natural and Human Science, Federal University of ABC, Santo Andre, SP, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Kubo Fontes
- Laboratory of Embryonic Metabolism and Epigenetic, Center of Natural and Human Science, Federal University of ABC, Santo Andre, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Fábio Gouveia Nogueira
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Sciences and Languages, São Paulo State University, Campus Assis, Assis, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcella Pecora Milazzotto
- Laboratory of Embryonic Metabolism and Epigenetic, Center of Natural and Human Science, Federal University of ABC, Santo Andre, SP, Brazil
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Veraguas-Dávila D, Zapata-Rojas C, Aguilera C, Saéz-Ruiz D, Saravia F, Castro FO, Rodriguez-Alvarez L. Proteomic Analysis of Domestic Cat Blastocysts and Their Secretome Produced in an In Vitro Culture System without the Presence of the Zona Pellucida. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4343. [PMID: 38673927 PMCID: PMC11050229 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Domestic cat blastocysts cultured without the zona pellucida exhibit reduced implantation capacity. However, the protein expression profile has not been evaluated in these embryos. The objective of this study was to evaluate the protein expression profile of domestic cat blastocysts cultured without the zona pellucida. Two experimental groups were generated: (1) domestic cat embryos generated by IVF and cultured in vitro (zona intact, (ZI)) and (2) domestic cat embryos cultured in vitro without the zona pellucida (zona-free (ZF group)). The cleavage, morula, and blastocyst rates were estimated at days 2, 5 and 7, respectively. Day 7 blastocysts and their culture media were subjected to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The UniProt Felis catus database was used to identify the standard proteome. No significant differences were found in the cleavage, morula, or blastocyst rates between the ZI and ZF groups (p > 0.05). Proteomic analysis revealed 22 upregulated and 20 downregulated proteins in the ZF blastocysts. Furthermore, 14 proteins involved in embryo development and implantation were present exclusively in the culture medium of the ZI blastocysts. In conclusion, embryo culture without the zona pellucida did not affect in vitro development, but altered the protein expression profile and release of domestic cat blastocysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Veraguas-Dávila
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Universidad Católica del Maule, Km 6 Los Niches, Curicó 3340000, Chile
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Chillan 3780000, Chile; (C.Z.-R.); (D.S.-R.); (F.S.); (F.O.C.); (L.R.-A.)
| | - Camila Zapata-Rojas
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Chillan 3780000, Chile; (C.Z.-R.); (D.S.-R.); (F.S.); (F.O.C.); (L.R.-A.)
| | - Constanza Aguilera
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Natural Sciences, San Sebastián University, Concepción 4081339, Chile;
| | - Darling Saéz-Ruiz
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Chillan 3780000, Chile; (C.Z.-R.); (D.S.-R.); (F.S.); (F.O.C.); (L.R.-A.)
| | - Fernando Saravia
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Chillan 3780000, Chile; (C.Z.-R.); (D.S.-R.); (F.S.); (F.O.C.); (L.R.-A.)
| | - Fidel Ovidio Castro
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Chillan 3780000, Chile; (C.Z.-R.); (D.S.-R.); (F.S.); (F.O.C.); (L.R.-A.)
| | - Lleretny Rodriguez-Alvarez
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Chillan 3780000, Chile; (C.Z.-R.); (D.S.-R.); (F.S.); (F.O.C.); (L.R.-A.)
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Dwapanyin GO, Chow DJX, Tan TCY, Dubost NS, Morizet JM, Dunning KR, Dholakia K. Investigation of refractive index dynamics during in vitro embryo development using off-axis digital holographic microscopy. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 14:3327-3342. [PMID: 37497510 PMCID: PMC10368053 DOI: 10.1364/boe.492292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Embryo quality is a crucial factor affecting live birth outcomes. However, an accurate diagnostic for embryo quality remains elusive in the in vitro fertilization clinic. Determining physical parameters of the embryo may offer key information for this purpose. Here, we demonstrate that digital holographic microscopy (DHM) can rapidly and non-invasively assess the refractive index of mouse embryos. Murine embryos were cultured in either low- or high-lipid containing media and digital holograms recorded at various stages of development. The phase of the recorded hologram was numerically retrieved, from which the refractive index of the embryo was calculated. We showed that DHM can detect spatio-temporal changes in refractive index during embryo development that are reflective of its lipid content. As accumulation of intracellular lipid is known to compromise embryo health, DHM may prove beneficial in developing an accurate, non-invasive, multimodal diagnostic.
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Affiliation(s)
- George O. Dwapanyin
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
| | - Darren J. X. Chow
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale Biophotonics, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Tiffany C. Y. Tan
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale Biophotonics, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Nicolas S. Dubost
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
| | - Josephine M. Morizet
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
| | - Kylie R. Dunning
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale Biophotonics, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Kishan Dholakia
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Centre of Light for Life, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
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Nava-Trujillo H, Rivera RM. Review: Large offspring syndrome in ruminants: current status and prediction during pregnancy. Animal 2023; 17 Suppl 1:100740. [PMID: 37567678 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2023.100740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Large/abnormal Offspring Syndrome (LOS/AOS) is a congenital overgrowth condition of cattle and sheep, characterized by macrosomia, abdominal wall defects, organomegaly, difficulty to stand and suckle at parturition. The condition was first described as an exclusive consequence of assisted reproductive technologies, such as in vitro production and somatic cell nuclear transfer (cloning). However, we recently reported the spontaneous occurrence of this syndrome in cattle. The etiology of LOS is unclear, although the syndrome is an epigenetic condition characterized by multi-locus loss-of-imprinting, global dysregulation of small and long RNAs, changes in DNA methylation, and altered chromosomal architecture. These molecular and epigenetic changes affect biological pathways implicated in organ size, cell proliferation, cell survival, resulting in the phenotypes which characterize LOS. The lack of accurate tools for the prediction and diagnosis of LOS and the prevention of dystocia resulting from fetal overgrowth is a major concern for the dairy and beef industries. Furthermore, death of the calf and/or dam during calving adds animal welfare issues and affects the net income of the industry. An early diagnosis of LOS/AOS during gestation is critical to facilitate the decision-making process on whether to allow the pregnancy to continue or not in order to prevent harm to the dam as well as to provide producers with the timely necessary information to prepare for a difficult birth. The present review summarizes the definition, traits, incidence, and molecular characteristics of LOS to provide information and serve as a guide for future investigations regarding the early identification of LOS during pregnancy in cattle.
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Arias ME, Vargas T, Gallardo V, Aguila L, Felmer R. Simple and Efficient Chemically Defined In Vitro Maturation and Embryo Culture System for Bovine Embryos. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:3057. [PMID: 36359181 PMCID: PMC9654503 DOI: 10.3390/ani12213057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Supplementation of the culture media for in vitro production (IVP) of bovine embryos with fetal bovine serum (FBS) is associated with inconsistent outcomes. The present study sought to replace FBS and BSA by insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and epidermal growth factor (EGF). In Experiment 1, absence of FBS from maturation medium (MM) did not affect the rate of in vitro maturation, as assessed by the extrusion of the first polar body. However, when gonadotropins and FBS were removed from the MM, the maturation rate was significantly reduced even in the presence of growth factors. Therefore, gonadotropin-supplemented MM medium was established as the base medium for the defined maturation condition. In Experiment 2, the addition of growth factors to gonadotropin-supplemented MM medium supported similar maturation (~90%) compared to the undefined condition (FBS-carrying). In Experiment 3, the addition of growth factors to embryo culture medium showed similar in vitro competence compared to the undefined (FBS) control. In Experiment 4, completely defined conditions (absence of FBS and BSA during in vitro maturation and embryo culture) were tested. A higher cleavage was observed with FGF2 (86%) compared to EGF (77%) and the FBS control (77%), but similar blastocyst rates were observed for FGF2 (24%), EGF (19%) and the FBS control (25%). Embryo quality was similar among groups. Finally, post-thawing survival was higher for FGF2 (94%) compared to the FBS control (77%). Thus, we report a simple defined IVP system for bovine species that generates developmental outcomes and embryos of similar quality than those produced under conditions containing FBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Elena Arias
- Laboratory of Reproduction, Centre of Reproductive Biotechnology (CEBIOR-BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811322, Chile
- Department of Agricultural Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811322, Chile
| | - Tamara Vargas
- Laboratory of Reproduction, Centre of Reproductive Biotechnology (CEBIOR-BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811322, Chile
| | - Victor Gallardo
- Laboratory of Reproduction, Centre of Reproductive Biotechnology (CEBIOR-BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811322, Chile
| | - Luis Aguila
- Laboratory of Reproduction, Centre of Reproductive Biotechnology (CEBIOR-BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811322, Chile
| | - Ricardo Felmer
- Laboratory of Reproduction, Centre of Reproductive Biotechnology (CEBIOR-BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811322, Chile
- Department of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811322, Chile
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