1
|
Hribal R, Rübensam K, Bernhardt S, Jewgenow K, Guenther A. Effect of season on reproductive behaviors and fertilization success in cavies (Cavia aperea). Theriogenology 2018; 114:185-190. [PMID: 29649721 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2018.03.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Finding the optimal timing for breeding is crucial for small mammals to ensure survival and maximize lifetime reproductive success. Species living in temperate regions therefore often restrict breeding to seasons with favorable food and weather conditions. Although caviomorph rodents such as guinea pigs are described as non-seasonal breeders, a series of recent publications has shown seasonal adaptations in litter size, offspring birth mass and maternal investment. Here, we aim to test if seasonal patterns of litter size variation found in earlier studies, are mediated by seasonal differences in female estrus length, fertilization rate and mating behavior. The female estrus period was longer in fall compared to all other seasons (p < 0.001), frequently lasting 7-9 days while estrus in spring usually lasted less than 2 days. In fall, females mated later during estrus (p < 0.001), resulting in reduced fertilization rates (p < 0.001). Fertilization rate was well above 95% in summer while it dropped to less than 85% in fall and winter. While none of the male mating characteristics such as number and duration of copulations differed across seasons, the number of mating bouts was reduced in fall (p = 0.04). Finally, the developmental stages of flushed embryos were more diverse in spring and summer compared to fall and winter. These results suggest that seasonal differences in fertilization rate and quality of implanted embryos are mediated by female estrus length and timing and intensity of mating behavior. Together, these effects contribute to the observed differences in litter size across seasons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Romy Hribal
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Department Reproduction Biology, PF 700430, 10324 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kathrin Rübensam
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Department Reproduction Biology, PF 700430, 10324 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sandra Bernhardt
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Department Reproduction Biology, PF 700430, 10324 Berlin, Germany
| | - Katarina Jewgenow
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Department Reproduction Biology, PF 700430, 10324 Berlin, Germany
| | - Anja Guenther
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; GELIFES-Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hribal R, Guenther A, Rübensam K, Jewgenow K. Blastocyst recovery and multifactorial gene expression analysis in the wild guinea pig (Cavia aperea). Theriogenology 2016; 86:1299-307. [PMID: 27264741 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2016.04.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Revised: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The expression of specific developmentally important genes in preimplantation embryos is an accepted marker for unraveling the influence of single factors in studies that are mostly related to artificial reproduction techniques. Such studies, however, often reveal high levels of heterogeneity between single embryos, independently of the influence of factors of interest. A possible explanation for this variation could be the large variety of physiological and environmental factors to which early embryos are exposed and their ability to react to them. Here, we investigated several potentially important parameters of development at the same time, in blastocysts of the wild guinea pig (Cavia aperea) generated in vivo after natural mating. The optimal time for flushing fully developed blastocysts was between 123 and 126 hours after mating. The abundance of POU5F1 (P = 0.042), BAX (P < 0.001), SLC2A1 (P = 0.017), and DNMT3A (P < 0.001) mRNA changed significantly over time after mating. The number of sibling embryos present influenced STAT3 levels significantly (P = 0.02). Levels of BAX and POU5F1 were significantly affected by season (P = 0.03 and 0.04). The temporal pattern of SLC2A1 levels was significantly altered both after feeding a protein-deficient diet (P = 0.04) and temperature treatment (P = 0.04) of the sire. In addition, the identity of the father had a significant influence on POU5F1 (P = 0.049) and STAT3 (P < 0.001) mRNA abundances. These data report that the expression of specific genes in early embryos reflects the entire heterogeneity of their surroundings and that it is a plastic reaction toward a multifactorial environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Romy Hribal
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Department of Reproduction Biology, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Anja Guenther
- Department of Animal Behaviour, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Kathrin Rübensam
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Department of Reproduction Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katarina Jewgenow
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Department of Reproduction Biology, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Fernandez-Gonzalez L, Hribal R, Stagegaard J, Zahmel J, Jewgenow K. Production of lion (Panthera leo) blastocysts after in vitro maturation of oocytes and intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Theriogenology 2015; 83:995-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2014.11.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Revised: 11/27/2014] [Accepted: 11/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
4
|
Hribal R, Hachen A, Jewgenow K, Zahmel J, Fernandez-Gonzalez L, Braun BC. The influence of recombinant feline oviductin on different aspects of domestic cat (Felis catus) IVF and embryo quality. Theriogenology 2014; 82:742-9. [PMID: 25023298 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2014.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2014] [Revised: 05/21/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Oviductin is known to be a key player providing a convenient environment for the process of fertilization affecting this by direct interaction with oocytes and sperm. As in vitro embryo production in the context of assisted reproduction for endangered felids is still in the process of optimization, oviductin might be used to improve IVF results. Recombinant His-tagged feline oviductin was expressed by transformed Escherichia coli BL21DE3 cells. The protein was purified by immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography. The effect of the recombinant protein was characterized in three experiments: a hemizona assay for sperm binding analysis, the IVF outcome, and the relative mRNA expression levels in blastocysts after IVF. A significant higher number of bound sperm cells were found after incubation in oviductin. No significant effect on cleavage, morula, and blastocyst rates with or without oviductin incubation during IVF could be observed. However, the relative mRNA abundance of GJA1, a gene, whose expression level is known to be a marker of embryo quality, was significantly increased (P value less than 0.05) in blastocysts after oviductin treatment. In contrast to this, expression of OCT4, HSP70, DNMT1, DNMT3A, BAX, IGF1R, and GAPDH was not significantly affected. We assume that our recombinant oviductin in its current nonglycosylated form is able to enhance sperm binding. Despite of a missing significant effect on IVF outcome, embryo quality in terms of relative GJA1 expression is influenced positively. These promising results demonstrate the value of recombinant oviductin for the IVF in cats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Romy Hribal
- Department Reproduction Biology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Alexandra Hachen
- Department Reproduction Biology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katarina Jewgenow
- Department Reproduction Biology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jennifer Zahmel
- Department Reproduction Biology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Beate C Braun
- Department Reproduction Biology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hribal R, Braun BC, Ringleb J, Jewgenow K. Capabilities and challenges of examination of gene expression for quality assessment of domestic cat embryos. Reprod Domest Anim 2013; 47 Suppl 6:147-51. [PMID: 23279486 DOI: 10.1111/rda.12032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Accepted: 07/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Early embryos are characterized by an accurately controlled gene expression pattern that might be deregulated during in vitro culture (IVC). The expression pattern of the developmental genes may serve as markers for embryo quality. Here, we examined the temporal pattern of relative mRNA abundance of genes important for early embryonic development in embryos produced by different fertilization methods [in vitro fertilization (IVF) vs intracytoplasmic sperm cell injection (ICSI)] and sperm sources (fresh vs frozen-thawed) applying reverse transcriptase (RT) PCR. The temporal pattern of gene expression was found to be gene specific and similar in all four examined groups in a semi-quantitative assay. In morulae, higher relative mRNA levels were found in embryos generated with fresh sperm, whereas in blastocysts, mRNA abundance tended to be higher in embryos produced with cryopreserved sperm cells. This indicates an influence of sperm cryopreservation on the temporal gene expression pattern in early cat embryos. We also examined relative mRNA abundances by real-time quantitative RT-PCR in blastocysts. In this context, blastocysts produced with fresh semen tended to have lower DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) but higher gap junction protein alpha 1 (GJA1) and octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) mRNA levels compared with those derived with frozen-thawed semen. We conclude that assessing embryo quality by measuring gene expression pattern in early embryos is challenging because of a high variability between individual embryos.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Hribal
- Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Eder S, Müller K, Jewgenow K, Hribal R, Schumann K. Cryopreservation of guinea pig spermatozoa – Challenges and first success. Reprod Biol 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.repbio.2013.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
|
7
|
Wiedemann C, Hribal R, Ringleb J, Bertelsen MF, Rasmusen K, Andersen CY, Kristensen SG, Jewgenow K. Preservation of Primordial Follicles from Lions by Slow Freezing and Xenotransplantation of Ovarian Cortex into an Immunodeficient Mouse. Reprod Domest Anim 2012; 47 Suppl 6:300-4. [DOI: 10.1111/rda.12081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Accepted: 07/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C Wiedemann
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research; Berlin; Germany
| | - R Hribal
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research; Berlin; Germany
| | - J Ringleb
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research; Berlin; Germany
| | - MF Bertelsen
- Centre for Zoo and Wild Animal Health; Copenhagen Zoo; Copenhagen; Denmark
| | | | - CY Andersen
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology; University Hospital of Copenhagen; Rigshospitalet; Copenhagen; Denmark
| | - SG Kristensen
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology; University Hospital of Copenhagen; Rigshospitalet; Copenhagen; Denmark
| | - K Jewgenow
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research; Berlin; Germany
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Abstract
Different culture conditions have been used to produce domestic cat embryos. As part of the in vitro procedures, the medium composition significantly affects the quality of the embryo development also. Quality assessments based on cleavage kinetics and blastomere symmetry are useful, but embryos also can differ in their relative gene expression patterns despite similar morphological characteristics. The aim of this study was to compare cat embryos produced with two different in vitro culture systems routinely used in two different laboratories [Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington D.C., USA (SCBI) and Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany (IZW)]. Specifically, relative mRNA expression patterns of critical genes for pre-implantation embryo development were assessed in both conditions. Embryos were produced in parallel in both culture systems by IVF using frozen-thawed ejaculated semen in the United States and fresh epididymal sperm in Germany. Success of embryo development in vitro was recorded as well as relative mRNA abundances [DNA methyltransferases 1 and 3A (DNMT1, DNMT3A), gap junction protein alpha 1 (GJA1), octamer-binding transcription factor 4 [OCT4], insulin-like growth factors 1 and 2 receptors (IGF1R, IGF2R), beta-actin (ACTB)] in pools of days 4-5 morulae by semi-quantitative RT-PCR assay. Percentages of cleaved embryos were similar (p > 0.05) between both culture systems, regardless of the location. OCT4 mRNA abundance was higher (p < 0.05) in embryos derived in the SCBI culture system compared with those from the IZW system when epididymal sperm was used for IVF. No clear correlation between the expression pattern and the culture system could be found for all other genes. It is suggested that OCT4 expression might be affected by the media composition in some conditions and can be the indicator of a better embryo quality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Hribal
- Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|