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McLean ZL, Appleby SJ, Fermin LM, Henderson HV, Wei J, Wells DN, Oback B. Controlled Cytoplast Arrest and Morula Aggregation Enhance Development, Cryoresilience, and In Vivo Survival of Cloned Sheep Embryos. Cell Reprogram 2021; 23:14-25. [PMID: 33529123 DOI: 10.1089/cell.2020.0078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Zona-free somatic cell transfer (SCT) and embryo aggregation increase throughput and efficiency of cloned embryo and offspring production, respectively, but both approaches have not been widely adopted. Cloning efficiency is further improved by cell cycle coordination between the interphase donor cell and metaphase-arrested recipient cytoplast. This commonly involves inclusion of caffeine and omission of calcium to maintain high mitotic cyclin-dependent kinase activity and low calcium levels, respectively, in the nonactivated cytoplast. The aim of our study was to integrate these various methodological improvements into a single work stream that increases sheep cloning success. We show that omitting calcium during zona-free SCT improved blastocyst development from 6% to 13%, while caffeine treatment reduced spontaneous oocyte activation from 17% to 8%. In a retrospective analysis, morula aggregation produced high morphological quality blastocysts with better in vivo survival to term than nonaggregated controls (15% vs. 9%), particularly after vitrification (14% vs. 0%). By combining cytoplast cell cycle control with zona-free embryo reconstruction and aggregation, this novel SCT protocol maximizes the benefits of vitrification by producing more cryoresilient blastocysts. The presented cloning methodology is relatively easy to operate and further increases throughput and efficiency of cloned embryo and offspring production. Integration of additional reprogramming steps or alternate donor cells is straightforward, providing a flexible workflow that can be adapted to changing experimental requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachariah Louis McLean
- Reproduction, AgResearch, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand
- Applied Translational Research Group and Centre for Brain Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Sarah Jane Appleby
- Reproduction, AgResearch, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | | | - Jingwei Wei
- Reproduction, AgResearch, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - David Norman Wells
- Reproduction, AgResearch, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Björn Oback
- Reproduction, AgResearch, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Fujishima A, Takahashi K, Goto M, Hirakawa T, Iwasawa T, Togashi K, Maeda E, Shirasawa H, Miura H, Sato W, Kumazawa Y, Terada Y. Live visualisation of electrolytes during mouse embryonic development using electrolyte indicators. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0246337. [PMID: 33513193 PMCID: PMC7845971 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have shown that some electrolytes, including Na+ and K+, play important roles in embryonic development. However, these studies evaluated these electrolytes by using inhibitors or knockout mice, with no mention on the changes in the intracellular electrolyte concentrations during embryogenesis. In this study, we used the electrolyte indicators CoroNa Green AM and ION Potassium Green-2 AM to directly visualise intracellular concentrations of Na+ and K+, respectively, at each embryonic developmental stage in mouse embryos. We directly observed intracellular electrolyte concentrations at the morula, blastocyst, and hatching stages. Our results revealed dynamic changes in intracellular electrolyte concentrations; we found that the intracellular Na+ concentration decreased, while K+ concentration increased during blastocoel formation. The degree of change in intensity in response to ouabain, an inhibitor of Na+/K+ ATPase, was considered to correspond to the degree of Na+/K+ ATPase activity at each developmental stage. Additionally, after the blastocyst stage, trophectoderm cells in direct contact with the blastocoel showed higher K+ concentrations than in direct contact with inner cell mass, indicating that Na+/K+ ATPase activity differs depending on the location in the trophectoderm. This is the first study to use CoroNa Green AM and ION Potassium Green-2 AM in mouse embryos and visualise electrolytes during embryonic development. The changes in electrolyte concentration observed in this study were consistent with the activity of Na+/K+ ATPase reported previously, and it was possible to image more detailed electrolyte behaviour in embryo cells. This method can be used to improve the understanding of cell physiology and is useful for future embryonic development studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Fujishima
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Kazumasa Takahashi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Mayumi Goto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Takeo Hirakawa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Takuya Iwasawa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Omagari Kousei Medical Center, Akita, Japan
| | - Kazue Togashi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Eri Maeda
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Public Health, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Hiromitsu Shirasawa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Miura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Wataru Sato
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Yukiyo Kumazawa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Yukihiro Terada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
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Peronato A, Franchi N, Loriano B. BsTLR1: A new member of the TLR family of recognition proteins from the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri. Fish Shellfish Immunol 2020; 106:967-974. [PMID: 32919053 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2020.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) represent a well-known family of conserved pattern recognition receptors the importance of which, in non-self recognition, was demonstrated in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Tunicates represent the vertebrate sister group and, as invertebrates, they rely only on innate immunity for their defence. As regards TLRs, two transcripts have been described and characterised in the solitary species Ciona intestinalis, referred to as CiTLR1 and CiTLR2. Using the Ciona TLR nucleotide sequences, we mined our available transcriptome of the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri looking for similar sequences. We were able to identify a sequence, with similarity to CiTLR2 and, through in silico transduction and subsequent sequence analysis, we studied the domain content of the putative protein. The sequence, called BsTLR1, has a TIR and a transmembrane domain, four LLR and two LRR-CT domains. It is actively transcribed by both phagocytes and morula cells, the two circulating immunocyte types. In addition, we analysed bstlr1 transcription in vivo and in vitro, in different phases of the Botryllus blastogenetic cycle and under various experimental conditions. Our data show that there is a change in gene expression and mRNA location, according to the blastogenetic phase. Furthermore, we used a commercial antibody raised against the ectodomain of hTLR5 to study the possible functional role of Botryllus TLR(s). We observed that anti-hTLR5 significantly decreased in vitro phagocytosis and morula cell degranulation, two typical responses to the recognition of nonself. Collectively, our data add new information on the mechanisms of nonself recognition in a colonial ascidian.
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Gerri C, McCarthy A, Alanis-Lobato G, Demtschenko A, Bruneau A, Loubersac S, Fogarty NME, Hampshire D, Elder K, Snell P, Christie L, David L, Van de Velde H, Fouladi-Nashta AA, Niakan KK. Initiation of a conserved trophectoderm program in human, cow and mouse embryos. Nature 2020; 587:443-447. [PMID: 32968278 PMCID: PMC7116563 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2759-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Current understandings of cell specification in early mammalian pre-implantation development are based mainly on mouse studies. The first lineage differentiation event occurs at the morula stage, with outer cells initiating a trophectoderm (TE) placental progenitor program. The inner cell mass arises from inner cells during subsequent developmental stages and comprises precursor cells of the embryo proper and yolk sac1. Recent gene-expression analyses suggest that the mechanisms that regulate early lineage specification in the mouse may differ in other mammals, including human2-5 and cow6. Here we show the evolutionary conservation of a molecular cascade that initiates TE segregation in human, cow and mouse embryos. At the morula stage, outer cells acquire an apical-basal cell polarity, with expression of atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) at the contact-free domain, nuclear expression of Hippo signalling pathway effectors and restricted expression of TE-associated factors such as GATA3, which suggests initiation of a TE program. Furthermore, we demonstrate that inhibition of aPKC by small-molecule pharmacological modulation or Trim-Away protein depletion impairs TE initiation at the morula stage. Our comparative embryology analysis provides insights into early lineage specification and suggests that a similar mechanism initiates a TE program in human, cow and mouse embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Gerri
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Afshan McCarthy
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | | | - Andrej Demtschenko
- Department of Reproduction and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Alexandre Bruneau
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, Nantes, France
| | - Sophie Loubersac
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, Nantes, France
- Service de Biologie de la Reproduction, CHU Nantes, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Norah M E Fogarty
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Daniel Hampshire
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
| | | | | | | | - Laurent David
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, Nantes, France
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, Inserm, CNRS, SFR Santé, Inserm UMS 016, CNRS UMS 3556, Nantes, France
| | - Hilde Van de Velde
- Department of Reproduction and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, UZ-Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ali A Fouladi-Nashta
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
| | - Kathy K Niakan
- Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
- The Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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Tsai NC, Su YT, Lin YJ, Chiang HJ, Huang FJ, Kung FT, Lan KC. Developmental potential of surplus morulas with delayed and/or incomplete compaction after freezing-thawing procedures. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2019; 17:87. [PMID: 31666062 PMCID: PMC6821030 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-019-0535-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Morulas with delayed growth sometimes coexist with blastocysts. There is still limited evidence regarding the optimal disposal of surplus morulas. With the advancement of vitrification, the freezing-thawing technique has been widely applied to zygotes with 2 pronuclei, as well as embryos at the cleavage and blastocyst stages. The freezing of morulas, however, has rarely been discussed. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether these poor-quality and slow-growing morulas are worthy of cryopreservation. METHODS This is a retrospective, observational, proof-of-concept study. A total of 1033 day 5/6 surplus morulas were cryopreserved from January 2015 to December 2018. The study included 167 women undergoing 180 frozen embryo transfer cycles. After the morulas underwent freezing-thawing procedures, their development was monitored for an additional day. The primary outcome was the blastocyst formation rate. Secondary outcomes were clinical pregnancy rate, live birth rate and abortion rate. RESULTS A total of 347 surplus morulas were thawed. All studied morulas showed delayed compaction (day 5, n = 329; day 6, n = 18) and were graded as having low (M1, n = 54), medium (M2, n = 138) or high (M3, n = 155) fragmentation. The post-thaw survival rate was 79.3%. After 1 day in extended culture, the blastocyst formation rate was 66.6%, and the top-quality blastocyst formation rate was 23.6%. The day 5 morulas graded as M1, M2, and M3 had blastocyst formation rates of 88.9, 74.0, and 52.8% (p < 0.001), respectively, and the top-quality blastocyst formation rates were 64.8, 25.2, and 9.0% (p < 0.001), respectively. The clinical pregnancy rate was 33.6%. CONCLUSIONS The post-thaw blastocyst formation rate was satisfactory, with approximately one-half of heavily fragmented morulas (M3) developing into blastocysts. Most of the poor-quality morulas were worth to freeze, with the reasonable goal of obtaining pregnancy and live birth. This alternative strategy may be a feasible approach for coping with poor-quality surplus morulas in non-PGS (preimplantation genetic screening) cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ni-Chin Tsai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, 123 Ta-Pei Road, Niao-Sung District, Kaohsiung city, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ting Su
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, 123 Ta-Pei Road, Niao-Sung District, Kaohsiung city, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ju Lin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, 123 Ta-Pei Road, Niao-Sung District, Kaohsiung city, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Ju Chiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, 123 Ta-Pei Road, Niao-Sung District, Kaohsiung city, Taiwan
| | - Fu-Jen Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, 123 Ta-Pei Road, Niao-Sung District, Kaohsiung city, Taiwan
| | - Fu-Tsai Kung
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, 123 Ta-Pei Road, Niao-Sung District, Kaohsiung city, Taiwan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Xiamen Chang Gung Hospital, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Kuo-Chung Lan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, 123 Ta-Pei Road, Niao-Sung District, Kaohsiung city, Taiwan.
- Center for Menopause and Reproductive Medicine Research, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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Midic U, Vincent KA, Wang K, Lokken A, Severance AL, Ralston A, Knott JG, Latham KE. Novel key roles for structural maintenance of chromosome flexible domain containing 1 (Smchd1) during preimplantation mouse development. Mol Reprod Dev 2019; 85:635-648. [PMID: 29900695 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Structural maintenance of chromosome flexible domain containing 1 (Smchd1) is a chromatin regulatory gene for which mutations are associated with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy and arhinia. The contribution of oocyte- and zygote-expressed SMCHD1 to early development was examined in mice ( Mus musculus) using a small interfering RNA knockdown approach. Smchd1 knockdown compromised long-term embryo viability, with reduced embryo nuclear volumes at the morula stage, reduced blastocyst cell number, formation and hatching, and reduced viability to term. RNA sequencing analysis of Smchd1 knockdown morulae revealed aberrant increases in expression of a small number of trophectoderm (TE)-related genes and reduced expression of cell proliferation genes, including S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 ( Skp2). Smchd1 expression was elevated in embryos deficient for Caudal-type homeobox transcription factor 2 ( Cdx2, a key regulator of TE specification), indicating that Smchd1 is normally repressed by CDX2. These results indicate that Smchd1 plays an important role in the preimplantation embryo, regulating early gene expression and contributing to long-term embryo viability. These results extend the known functions of SMCHD1 to the preimplantation period and highlight important function for maternally expressed Smchd1 messenger RNA and protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uros Midic
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Kailey A Vincent
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Alyson Lokken
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Ashley L Severance
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Amy Ralston
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Jason G Knott
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Keith E Latham
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
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Lindgren KE, Gülen Yaldir F, Hreinsson J, Holte J, Kårehed K, Sundström-Poromaa I, Kaihola H, Åkerud H. Differences in secretome in culture media when comparing blastocysts and arrested embryos using multiplex proximity assay. Ups J Med Sci 2018; 123:143-152. [PMID: 30282508 PMCID: PMC6198226 DOI: 10.1080/03009734.2018.1490830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to assess different patterns of the human embryo secretome analysed as protein levels in culture media. Furthermore, analyses to correlate protein levels with quality and timing to development of human embryos were performed. MATERIAL AND METHODS Human day-2 cryopreserved embryos were cultured for four days in an EmbryoScope® with a time-lapse camera, and embryo quality was evaluated retrospectively. After culture, the media were collected and relative levels of secreted proteins were analysed using Proseek Multiplex Assays. Protein levels were evaluated in relation to timing to development and the ability to form a blastocyst. RESULTS Specific patterns of timing of development of blastocysts were found, where a difference in time to start of cavitation was found between high- and low-quality blastocysts. There appeared to be a correlation between specific protein patterns and successful formation of morulae and blastocysts. Embryos developing into blastocysts had higher levels of EMMPRIN than arrested embryos, and levels of caspase-3 were lower in high- versus low-quality blastocysts. Also, higher levels of VEGF-A, IL-6, and EMMPRIN correlated with shorter times to morula formation. CONCLUSIONS The secretome and timing to development differ in embryos forming blastocysts and those that become arrested, and in high- versus low-quality blastocysts. The levels of certain proteins also correlate to specific times to development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin E. Lindgren
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, SE-751 85Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fatma Gülen Yaldir
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, SE-751 85Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Julius Hreinsson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-751 85Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institute and Unit for Reproductive Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-14186Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jan Holte
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, SE-751 85Uppsala, Sweden
- Carl von Linné Clinic, SE-751 83Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Karin Kårehed
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, SE-751 85Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Helena Kaihola
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-751 85Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Helena Åkerud
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-751 85Uppsala, Sweden
- CONTACT Helena Åkerud Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjölds väg 20, SE-751 85Uppsala, Sweden
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Guo S, Yan X, Shi F, Ma K, Chen ZJ, Zhang C. Expression and distribution of the zinc finger protein, SNAI3, in mouse ovaries and pre-implantation embryos. J Reprod Dev 2018; 64:179-186. [PMID: 29445069 PMCID: PMC5902906 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2017-088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Snail gene family includes Snai1, Snai2, and Snai3 that encode zinc finger-containing transcriptional repressors in mammals. The expression and localization of SNAI1 and SNAI2 have been studied extensively during folliculogenesis, ovulation, luteinization, and embryogenesis in mice. However, the role of SNAI3 is unknown. In this study, we investigated the expression of SNAI3 during these processes. Our immunohistochemistry data showed that SNAI3 first appeared in oocytes by postnatal day (PD) 9. Following this, SNAI3 was found to be expressed consistently in theca and interstitial cells, along with oocytes. In gonadotropin-treated immature mice, the expression of SNAI3 did not change significantly during follicular development. The expression of SNAI3 was reduced during ovulation, after which it increased gradually during luteinization. Similar results were obtained from western blot analyses. Furthermore, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses revealed varying mRNA levels of different Snail factors at a given time in gonadotropin-induced ovaries. During early embryo cleavage, SNAI3 was localized to the nucleus, except the nucleolus at the germinal vesicle and one-cell stages. From two- to eight-cell stages, SNAI3 was localized only to the nucleolus. Thereafter, SNAI3 was detected only in the cytoplasm, except during the blastocyst stage when it was localized to the nucleus of the trophectoderm and the inner cell mass. RT-PCR results showed that the expression of Snail superfamily genes was decreased during the blastocyst stage. From the eight-cell to morula stage, when compaction occurs that is a prerequisite for blastocyst formation, Snai3 mRNA was expressed at very low levels and was opposite to the highest expression level of the compaction-related gene, E-cadherin, at the eight-cell stage. Taken together, our results suggest that SNAI3 likely plays some roles during folliculogenesis, luteinization, and early embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujuan Guo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Research, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Ji'nan, Shandong 250014, China
| | - Xingyu Yan
- Hebei Medical University Nursing School, Shijiazhuang 050000, China
| | - Feifei Shi
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Research, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Ji'nan, Shandong 250014, China
| | - Ke Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Research, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Ji'nan, Shandong 250014, China
| | - Zi-Jiang Chen
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200135, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai 200135, China
| | - Cong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Research, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Ji'nan, Shandong 250014, China
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200135, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai 200135, China
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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: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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10
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Nicola F, Loriano B. Morula cells as key hemocytes of the lectin pathway of complement activation in the colonial tunicate Botryllus schlosseri. Fish Shellfish Immunol 2017; 63:157-164. [PMID: 28189764 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2017.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Revised: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The complement system is deeply rooted in the evolution of humoral mechanism of innate immunity. In addition to the alternative pathway of complement activation, lectins and associated serine proteases exert important roles in the recognition of non-self and activation of the effectors. In the colonial tunicate Botryllus schlosseri, we identified, characterized and studied the expression of three orthologues of genes involved in the lectin pathway of complement activation of vertebrates, i.e., genes for a mannose-binding lectin (MBL), a ficolin and a mannose-associated serine protease 1 (MASP1). All the genes are transcribed by hemocytes, and specifically by morula cells, the same immunocytes responsible for the transcription of C3 and Bf orthologues. The transcription levels of MASP1 and ficolin orthologues are not affected by zymosan challenge, indicating a constitutive expression of complement system associated serine proteases, whereas the MBL orthologue is up-regulated after 15 min of zymosan exposure. Collectively, our data suggest the presence of a complete lectin activation pathway in Botryllus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franchi Nicola
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35100, Padova, Italy.
| | - Ballarin Loriano
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35100, Padova, Italy
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11
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Bogolyubova IO. HETEROGENEITY OF COILIN-CONTAINING NUCLEAR DOMAINS IN EARLY MOUSE EMBRYOS. Tsitologiia 2017; 59:290-297. [PMID: 30188094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The nucleus of mouse two-cell embryos houses the coilin-containing bodies of two types: 1) 1—3 large spherical structures of 1 mm and 2) small foci, which vary in number in different blastomeres. The largest coilin-containing structures, unlike the smallest ones, contain RNA polymerase I, nucleic acid chaperon YB-1, and also actin. Neither large nor small coilin-positive domains contain symplekin, one of the signature components of histone locus bodies. In the nuclei of late two-cell embryos, symplekin localizes to 1—2 well-formed roundish bodies that are observed both in close proximity to the coilin-positive structures and far away from them. Large coilin-containing bodies were not observed in embryos at the morula stage as well as in the nuclei of late two-cell embryos after artificial suppression of transcription activity. Thus, a population of coilin-containing bodies in the nuclei of late two-cell embryos of mice is heterogeneous in morphology and molecular composition. It could be assumed that the largest coilin-containing bodies are provisional nuclear domains that are formed at the background of significant changes of nuclear metabolism at the final stages of embryonic genome activation and the initial stages of reactivation of nucleolar transcription.
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12
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Cheng EH, Liu JY, Lee TH, Huang CC, Chen CI, Huang LS, Lee MS. Requirement of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor or Epidermal Growth Factor for Pre-Implantation Embryogenesis via JAK/STAT3 Signaling Pathways. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153086. [PMID: 27096934 PMCID: PMC4838257 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) plays a key role in the survivability of mouse embryos during pre-implantation. In this study, we verified the role of LIF by detecting gene expression in morula stage embryos through DNA microarray. Our results showed that LIF knockdown affected expression of 369 genes. After LIF supplementation, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) is most affected by LIF expression. To observe the correlation between LIF and EGF, the LIF knockdown embryos were supplemented with various growth factors, including LIF, EGF, GM-CSF, TGF, and IGF II. Only LIF and EGF caused the rate of blastocyst development to recover significantly from 52% of control to 83% and 93%, respectively. All of the variables, including the diameter of blastocysts, the number of blastomeres, and cells in ICM and TE, were almost restored. Moreover, EGF knockdown also impaired blastocyst development, which was reversed by LIF or EGF supplementation. The treatment with various signaling suppressors revealed that both EGF and LIF promoted embryonic development through the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway. These data suggest that the EGF and LIF can be compensatory to each other during early embryonic development, and at least one of them is necessary for sustaining the normal development of pre-implantation embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- En-Hui Cheng
- Division of Infertility Clinic, Lee Women’s Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jer-Yuh Liu
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Hsein Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Chia Huang
- Division of Infertility Clinic, Lee Women’s Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chung-I Chen
- Division of Infertility Clinic, Lee Women’s Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Lii-Sheng Huang
- Division of Infertility Clinic, Lee Women’s Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Nursing, School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Maw-Sheng Lee
- Division of Infertility Clinic, Lee Women’s Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
We describe a procedure for generating induced pluripotent stem cell lines in rabbits, using retroviral vectors expressing Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc of human origin to reprogram rabbit fibroblasts prepared from an ear skin biopsy. We also provide detailed procedures for characterizing the resulting iPSC lines, including the analysis of pluripotency marker expression by RT-qPCR, immunolabeling, and fluorescent-associated cell sorting, the evaluation of pluripotency by teratoma production and genetic stability by karyotyping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marielle Afanassieff
- INSERM U846, Bron, 69500, France.
- Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Bron, 69500, France.
- Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne, 69100, France.
| | - Yann Tapponnier
- INSERM U846, Bron, 69500, France
- Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Bron, 69500, France
- Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne, 69100, France
| | - Pierre Savatier
- INSERM U846, Bron, 69500, France
- Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Bron, 69500, France
- Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne, 69100, France
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14
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Guillermet-Guibert J, Smith LB, Halet G, Whitehead MA, Pearce W, Rebourcet D, León K, Crépieux P, Nock G, Strömstedt M, Enerback M, Chelala C, Graupera M, Carroll J, Cosulich S, Saunders PTK, Huhtaniemi I, Vanhaesebroeck B. Novel Role for p110β PI 3-Kinase in Male Fertility through Regulation of Androgen Receptor Activity in Sertoli Cells. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005304. [PMID: 26132308 PMCID: PMC4488938 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The organismal roles of the ubiquitously expressed class I PI3K isoform p110β remain largely unknown. Using a new kinase-dead knockin mouse model that mimics constitutive pharmacological inactivation of p110β, we document that full inactivation of p110β leads to embryonic lethality in a substantial fraction of mice. Interestingly, the homozygous p110β kinase-dead mice that survive into adulthood (maximum ~26% on a mixed genetic background) have no apparent phenotypes, other than subfertility in females and complete infertility in males. Systemic inhibition of p110β results in a highly specific blockade in the maturation of spermatogonia to spermatocytes. p110β was previously suggested to signal downstream of the c-kit tyrosine kinase receptor in germ cells to regulate their proliferation and survival. We now report that p110β also plays a germ cell-extrinsic role in the Sertoli cells (SCs) that support the developing sperm, with p110β inactivation dampening expression of the SC-specific Androgen Receptor (AR) target gene Rhox5, a homeobox gene critical for spermatogenesis. All extragonadal androgen-dependent functions remain unaffected by global p110β inactivation. In line with a crucial role for p110β in SCs, selective inactivation of p110β in these cells results in male infertility. Our study is the first documentation of the involvement of a signalling enzyme, PI3K, in the regulation of AR activity during spermatogenesis. This developmental pathway may become active in prostate cancer where p110β and AR have previously been reported to functionally interact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Guillermet-Guibert
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Toulouse UMR1037, INSERM, BP84225, Toulouse, France
- Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Lee B. Smith
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Guillaume Halet
- CNRS, UMR 6290, Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes, Rennes, France
- Université Rennes 1, UEB, SFR BIOSIT UMS 3480, Faculté de Médecine, Rennes, France
| | | | - Wayne Pearce
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Diane Rebourcet
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Kelly León
- Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, UMR 7247 INRA—CNRS—Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Pascale Crépieux
- Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, UMR 7247 INRA—CNRS—Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Gemma Nock
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Strömstedt
- Astra Zeneca, Research and Development, Mölndal, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Malin Enerback
- Astra Zeneca, Research and Development, Mölndal, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Claude Chelala
- Centre for Molecular Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mariona Graupera
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Vascular Signalling Laboratory, Institut d´Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), Gran Via de l’Hospitalet 199–203, 08908 L´Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - John Carroll
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sabina Cosulich
- Astrazeneca Oncology iMED, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire, United Kingdom
| | - Philippa T. K. Saunders
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Ilpo Huhtaniemi
- Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London, United Kingdom, and Department of Physiology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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15
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Kort JD, Lathi RB, Brookfield K, Baker VL, Zhao Q, Behr BR. Aneuploidy rates and blastocyst formation after biopsy of morulae and early blastocysts on day 5. J Assist Reprod Genet 2015; 32:925-30. [PMID: 25921084 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-015-0475-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Studies have demonstrated high implantation rates after trophectoderm biopsy of day 5 expanded blastocysts. However, biopsy of cleavage stage embryos may adversely affect embryo development and implantation. No studies have assessed the utility of day 5 morulae and early blastocyst biopsy. This study sought to better understand these slower embryos' aneuploidy rates and implantation potential. METHODS This was a retrospective review of all autologous IVF cycles utilizing PGS at a single academic infertility center. RESULTS The biopsy of day 5 morulae and early blastocysts provided 22 % additional euploid blastocysts available for fresh day 6 transfer compared to day 5 biopsy of only expanded blastocysts. Aneuploidy did correlate with embryo stage on day 5, even after controlling for maternal age, with 16 % of morulae and 35 % of blastocysts being euploid. The majority (83 %) of euploid morulae progressed to the blastocyst stage by day 6. Experience transferring slower developing embryos is limited, but preliminary pregnancy and implantation rates appear similar to euploid embryos biopsied as expanded blastocysts. CONCLUSIONS The biopsy of all non-arrested embryos on day 5 provides genetic information for all blastocysts on day 6, increasing the pool of euploid blastocysts available for fresh transfer and avoiding the need to cryopreserve developmentally competent embryos without genetic information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Kort
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA,
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16
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Anzar M, Grochulski P, Bonnet B. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction to detect glass or ice formation in the vitrified bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes and morulae. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114801. [PMID: 25536435 PMCID: PMC4275205 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2014] [Accepted: 10/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Vitrification of bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) is not as successful as bovine embryos, due to oocyte's complex structure and chilling sensitivity. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD), a powerful method to study crystal structure and phase changes, was used to detect the glass or ice formation in water, tissue culture medium (TCM)-199, vitrification solution 2 (VS2), and vitrified bovine COCs and morulae. Data revealed Debye's rings and peaks associated with the hexagonal ice crystals at 3.897, 3.635, 3.427, 2.610, 2.241, 1.912 and 1.878 Å in both water and TCM-199, whereas VS2 showed amorphous (glassy) appearance, at 102K (−171°C). An additional peak of sodium phosphate monobasic hydrate (NaH2PO4.H2O) crystals was observed at 2.064 Å in TCM-199 only. All ice and NaH2PO4.H2O peaks were detected in the non-vitrified (control) and vitrified COCs, except two ice peaks (3.145 and 2.655 Å) were absent in the vitrified COCs. The intensities of majority of ice peaks did not differ between the non-vitrified and vitrified COCs. The non-vitrified bovine morulae in TCM-199 demonstrated all ice- and NaH2PO4.H2O-associated Debye's rings and peaks, found in TCM-199 alone. There was no Debye's ring present in the vitrified morulae. In conclusion, SXRD is a powerful method to confirm the vitrifiability of a solution and to detect the glass or ice formation in vitrified cells and tissues. The vitrified bovine COCs exhibited the hexagonal ice crystals instead of glass formation whereas the bovine morulae underwent a typical vitrification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Anzar
- Cryobiology Lab, Canadian Animal Genetic Resource Program, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon Research Center, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- * E-mail:
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17
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Dos Santos Neto PC, Vilariño M, Barrera N, Cuadro F, Crispo M, Menchaca A. Cryotolerance of Day 2 or Day 6 in vitro produced ovine embryos after vitrification by Cryotop or Spatula methods. Cryobiology 2014; 70:17-22. [PMID: 25448379 DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2014.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Revised: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study was conducted to evaluate the cryotolerance of in vitro produced ovine embryos submitted to vitrification at different developmental stages using two methods of minimum volume and rapid cooling rate. Embryos were vitrified at early stage (2 to 8-cells) on Day 2 or at advanced stage (morulae and blastocysts) on Day 6 after in vitro fertilization. Vitrification procedure consisted of the Cryotop (Day 2, n=165; Day 6, n=174) or the Spatula method (Day 2, n=165; Day 6, n=175). Non vitrified embryos were maintained in in vitro culture as a control group (n=408). Embryo survival was determined at 3h and 24h after warming, development and hatching rates were evaluated on Day 6 and Day 8 after fertilization, and total cell number was determined on expanded blastocysts. Embryo survival at 24h after warming increased as the developmental stage progressed (P<0.05) and was not affected by the vitrification method. The ability for hatching of survived embryos was not affected by the stage of the embryos at vitrification or by the vitrification method. Thus, the proportion of hatching from vitrified embryos was determined by the survival rate and was lower for Day 2 than Day 6 vitrified embryos. The percentage of blastocysts on Day 8 was lower for the embryos vitrified on Day 2 than Day 6 (P<0.05), and was lower for both days of vitrification than for non-vitrified embryos (P<0.05). No interaction of embryo stage by vitrification method was found (P=NS) and no significant difference was found in the blastocyst cell number among vitrified and non-vitrified embryos. In conclusion, both methods using minimum volume and ultra-rapid cooling rate allow acceptable survival and development rates in Day 2 and Day 6 in vitro produced embryos in sheep. Even though early stage embryos showed lower cryotolerance, those embryos that survive the vitrification-warming process show high development and hatching rates, similar to vitrification of morulae or blastocysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- P C Dos Santos Neto
- Instituto de Reproducción Animal Uruguay, Fundación IRAUy, Camino Cruz del Sur 2250, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - M Vilariño
- Instituto de Reproducción Animal Uruguay, Fundación IRAUy, Camino Cruz del Sur 2250, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - N Barrera
- Instituto de Reproducción Animal Uruguay, Fundación IRAUy, Camino Cruz del Sur 2250, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - F Cuadro
- Instituto de Reproducción Animal Uruguay, Fundación IRAUy, Camino Cruz del Sur 2250, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - M Crispo
- Unidad de Animales Transgénicos y de Experimentación, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - A Menchaca
- Instituto de Reproducción Animal Uruguay, Fundación IRAUy, Camino Cruz del Sur 2250, Montevideo, Uruguay.
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Zakharova EE, Zaletova VV, Krivokharchenko AS. Biopsy of human morula-stage embryos: outcome of 215 IVF/ICSI cycles with PGS. PLoS One 2014; 9:e106433. [PMID: 25191937 PMCID: PMC4156362 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2014] [Accepted: 07/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is commonly performed on biopsies from 6-8-cell-stage embryos or blastocyst trophectoderm obtained on day 3 or 5, respectively. Day 4 human embryos at the morula stage were successfully biopsied. Biopsy was performed on 709 morulae from 215 ICSI cycles with preimplantation genetic screening (PGS), and 3-7 cells were obtained from each embryo. The most common vital aneuploidies (chromosomes X/Y, 21) were screened by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). No aneuploidy was observed in 72.7% of embryos, 91% of those developed to blastocysts. Embryos were transferred on days 5-6. Clinical pregnancy was obtained in 32.8% of cases, and 60 babies were born. Patients who underwent ICSI/PGS treatment were compared with those who underwent standard ICSI treatment by examining the percentage of blastocysts, pregnancy rate, gestational length, birth height and weight. No significant differences in these parameters were observed between the groups. Day 4 biopsy procedure does not adversely affect embryo development in vitro or in vivo. The increased number of cells obtained by biopsy of morulae might facilitate diagnostic screening. There is enough time after biopsy to obtain PGD results for embryo transfer on day 5-6 in the current IVF cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena E. Zakharova
- Center for Reproductive Medicine MAMA, Moscow, Russian Federation
- * E-mail:
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19
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Artus J, Chazaud C. A close look at the mammalian blastocyst: epiblast and primitive endoderm formation. Cell Mol Life Sci 2014; 71:3327-38. [PMID: 24794628 PMCID: PMC11113690 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-014-1630-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2013] [Revised: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
During early development, the mammalian embryo undergoes a series of profound changes that lead to the formation of two extraembryonic tissues--the trophectoderm and the primitive endoderm. These tissues encapsulate the pluripotent epiblast at the time of implantation. The current model proposes that the formation of these lineages results from two consecutive binary cell fate decisions. The first controls the formation of the trophectoderm and the inner cell mass, and the second controls the formation of the primitive endoderm and the epiblast within the inner cell mass. While early mammalian embryos develop with extensive plasticity, the embryonic pattern prior to implantation is remarkably reproducible. Here, we review the molecular mechanisms driving the cell fate decision between primitive endoderm and epiblast in the mouse embryo and integrate data from recent studies into the current model of the molecular network regulating the segregation between these lineages and their subsequent differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Artus
- Institut Pasteur, Mouse Functional Genetics, CNRS URA2578, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Claire Chazaud
- Clermont Université, Laboratoire GReD, Université d’Auvergne, BP 10448, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Inserm, UMR1103, 63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France
- CNRS, UMR6293, 63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France
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Desai N, Ploskonka S, Goodman LR, Austin C, Goldberg J, Falcone T. Analysis of embryo morphokinetics, multinucleation and cleavage anomalies using continuous time-lapse monitoring in blastocyst transfer cycles. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2014; 12:54. [PMID: 24951056 PMCID: PMC4074839 DOI: 10.1186/1477-7827-12-54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Time-lapse imaging combined with embryo morphokinetics may offer a non-invasive means for improving embryo selection. Data from clinics worldwide are necessary to compare and ultimately develop embryo classifications models using kinetic data. The primary objective of this study was to determine if there were kinetic differences between embryos with limited potential and those more often associated with in vitro blastocyst formation and/or implantation. We also wanted to compare putative kinetic markers for embryo selection as proposed by other laboratories to what we were observing in our own laboratory setting. METHODS Kinetic data and cycle outcomes were retrospectively analyzed in patients age 39 and younger with 7 or more zygotes cultured in the Embryoscope. Timing of specific events from the point of insemination were determined using time-lapse (TL) imaging. The following kinetic markers were assessed: time to syngamy (tPNf), t2, time to two cells (c), 3c (t3), 4c ( t4), 5c (t5), 8c (t8), morula (tMor), start of blastulation (tSB); tBL, blastocyst (tBL); expanded blastocyst (tEBL). Durations of the second (cc2) and third (cc3) cell cycles, the t5-t2 interval as well as time to complete synchronous divisions s1, s2 and s3 were calculated. Incidence and impact on development of nuclear and cleavage anomalies were also assessed. RESULTS A total of 648 embryos transferred on day 5 were analyzed. The clinical pregnancy and implantation rate were 72% and 50%, respectively. Morphokinetic data showed that tPNf, t2,t4, t8, s1, s2,s3 and cc2 were significantly different in embryos forming blastocysts (ET or frozen) versus those with limited potential either failing to blastulate or else forming poor quality blastocysts ,ultimately discarded. Comparison of embryo kinetics in cycles with all embryos implanting (KID+) versus no implantation (KID-) suggested that markers of embryo competence to implant may be different from ability to form a blastocyst. The incidence of multinucleation and reverse cleavage amongst the embryos observed was 25% and 7%, respectively. Over 40% of embryos exhibiting these characteristics did however form blastocysts meeting our criteria for freezing. CONCLUSIONS These data provide us with a platform with which to potentially enhance embryo selection for transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Desai
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Cleveland Clinic, Beachwood, Ohio, USA
| | - Stephanie Ploskonka
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Cleveland Clinic, Beachwood, Ohio, USA
| | - Linnea R Goodman
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Cleveland Clinic, Beachwood, Ohio, USA
| | - Cynthia Austin
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Cleveland Clinic, Beachwood, Ohio, USA
| | - Jeffrey Goldberg
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Cleveland Clinic, Beachwood, Ohio, USA
| | - Tommaso Falcone
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Cleveland Clinic, Beachwood, Ohio, USA
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Martino NA, Dell'aquila ME, Cardone RA, Somoskoi B, Lacalandra GM, Cseh S. Vitrification preserves chromatin integrity, bioenergy potential and oxidative parameters in mouse embryos. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2013; 11:27. [PMID: 23552480 PMCID: PMC3652727 DOI: 10.1186/1477-7827-11-27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2012] [Accepted: 03/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of vitrification on morpho-functional parameters (blastomere/chromatin integrity and bioenergy/oxidative potential) of mouse preimplantation embryos. METHODS In vivo produced mouse (4/16-cell, morulae and blastocyst-stage) embryos were randomly divided into vitrification and control groups. For vitrification, embryos were exposed to a 2-step loading of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, before being placed in a small nylon loop and submerged into liquid nitrogen. After warming, the cryoprotectants were diluted by a 3-step procedure. Embryo morphology, chromatin integrity and energy/oxidative status were compared between groups. RESULTS Vitrification induced low grade blastomere cytofragmentation (P < 0.05) and low chromatin damage only in embryos at the morula stage (P < 0.001). Mitochondrial (mt) distribution pattern was affected by vitrification only in early embryos (P < 0.001). Mitochondrial activity did not change upon vitrification in morula-stage embryos but it was reduced in blastocyst-stage embryos (P < 0.05). Intracellular ROS levels significantly increased in embryos at the morula and blastocyst stages (P < 0.001). Colocalization of active mitochondria and ROS increased only in vitrified blastocysts. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, this study elucidates the developmentally-related and mild effects of vitrification on morphology, nuclear and bioenergy/oxidative parameters of mouse embryos and demonstrates that vitrification is a suitable method for preserving predictive parameters of embryo ability to induce a full-term pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola A Martino
- Veterinary Clinics and Animal Productions Unit, Department of Emergency and Organ Trasplantation (DETO), University of Bari Aldo Moro, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
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22
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Pieters T, Haenebalcke L, Hochepied T, D’Hont J, Haigh JJ, van Roy F, van Hengel J. Efficient and user-friendly pluripotin-based derivation of mouse embryonic stem cells. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2012; 8:768-78. [PMID: 22011883 PMCID: PMC3412084 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-011-9323-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Classic derivation of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells from blastocysts is inefficient, strain-dependent, and requires expert skills. Over recent years, several major improvements have greatly increased the success rate for deriving mouse ES cell lines. The first improvement was the establishment of a user-friendly and reproducible medium-alternating protocol that allows isolation of ES cells from C57BL/6 transgenic mice with efficiencies of up to 75%. A recent report describes the use of this protocol in combination with leukemia inhibitory factor and pluripotin treatment, which made it possible to obtain ES cells from F1 strains with high efficiency. We report modifications of these protocols for user-friendly and reproducible derivation of mouse ES cells with efficiencies of up to 100%. Our protocol involves a long initial incubation of primary outgrowths from blastocysts with pluripotin, which results in the formation of large spherical outgrowths. These outgrowths are morphologically distinct from classical inner cell mass (ICM) outgrowths and can be easily picked and trypsinized. Pluripotin was omitted after the first trypsinization because we found that it blocks attachment of ES cells to the feeder layer and its removal facilitated formation of ES cell colonies. The newly established ES cells exhibited normal karyotypes and generated chimeras. In summary, our user-friendly modified protocol allows formation of large spherical ICM outgrowths in a robust and reliable manner. These outgrowths gave rise to ES cell lines with success rates of up to 100%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Pieters
- Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lieven Haenebalcke
- Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tino Hochepied
- Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jinke D’Hont
- Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jody J. Haigh
- Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frans van Roy
- Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jolanda van Hengel
- Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Molecular Cell Biology Unit, Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, VIB & Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
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Maehara M, Matsunari H, Honda K, Nakano K, Takeuchi Y, Kanai T, Matsuda T, Matsumura Y, Hagiwara Y, Sasayama N, Shirasu A, Takahashi M, Watanabe M, Umeyama K, Hanazono Y, Nagashima H. Hollow fiber vitrification provides a novel method for cryopreserving in vitro maturation/fertilization-derived porcine embryos. Biol Reprod 2012; 87:133. [PMID: 23053438 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.112.100339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro matured (IVM) oocytes have been used to create genetically modified pigs for various biomedical purposes. However, porcine embryos derived from IVM oocytes are very cryosensitive. Developing improved cryopreservation methods would facilitate the production of genetically modified pigs and also accelerate the conservation of genetic resources. We recently developed a novel hollow fiber vitrification (HFV) method; the present study was initiated to determine whether this new method permits the cryopreservation of IVM oocyte-derived porcine embryos. Embryos were created from the in vitro fertilization of IVM oocytes with frozen-thawed sperm derived from a transgenic pig carrying a humanized Kusabira-Orange (huKO) gene. Morula-stage embryos were assigned to vitrification and nonvitrification groups to compare their in vitro and in vivo developmental abilities. Vitrified morulae developed to the blastocyst stage at a rate similar to that of nonvitrified embryos (66/85, 77.6% vs. 67/84, 79.8%). Eighty-eight blastocysts that developed from vitrified morulae were transferred into the uteri of three recipient gilts. All three became pregnant and produced a total of 17 piglets (19.3%). This piglet production was slightly lower, albeit not significantly, than that of the nonvitrification group (27/88, 30.7%). Approximately half of the piglets in the vitrification (10/17, 58.8%) and nonvitrification (15/27, 55.6%) groups were transgenic. There was no significant difference in the growth rates among the piglets in the two groups. These results indicate that the HFV method is an extremely effective method for preserving cryosensitive embryos such as porcine in vitro maturation/fertilization-derived morulae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miki Maehara
- Laboratory of Developmental Engineering, Department of Life Sciences, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Japan
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Thayil A, Watanabe T, Jesacher A, Wilson T, Srinivas S, Booth M. Long-term imaging of mouse embryos using adaptive harmonic generation microscopy. J Biomed Opt 2011; 16:046018. [PMID: 21529087 PMCID: PMC3321263 DOI: 10.1117/1.3569614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
We present a detailed description of an adaptive harmonic generation (HG) microscope and culture techniques that permit long-term, three-dimensional imaging of mouse embryos. HG signal from both pre- and postimplantation stage (0.5-5.5 day-old) mouse embryos are fully characterized. The second HG images reveal central spindles during cytokinesis whereas third HG images show several features, such as lipid droplets, nucleoli, and plasma membranes. The embryos are found to develop normally during one-day-long discontinuous HG imaging, permitting the observation of several dynamic events, such as morula compaction and blastocyst formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anisha Thayil
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3PJ, United Kingdom
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25
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Li JJ, Pei Y, Zhou GB, Suo L, Wang YP, Wu GQ, Fu XW, Hou YP, Zhu SE. Histone deacetyltransferase1 expression in mouse oocyte and their in vitro-fertilized embryo: effect of oocyte vitrification. Cryo Letters 2011; 32:13-20. [PMID: 21468449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
This study was conducted to investigate the expression of Histone Deacetyltransferase1 (HDAC1) in mouse embryos derived from the vitrified-warmed oocytes. Firstly, the mouse oocytes at metaphaseII (MII) stage were randomly allocated into three groups: A untreated (control), B exposed to vitrification solution (VS) without being plunged into liquid nitrogen (toxicity), or C vitrified by open-pulled straw (OPS) method (vitrification). After warming, they were fertilized in vitro. Fresh oocytes were used as control. Expression of HDAC1 was then examined in MII mouse oocytes and embryos by immunofluorescence with anti-HDAC1 polyclonal antibody and fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated goat anti-rabbit IgG. Results showed that after in vitro fertilization (IVF), developmental rates to two-cell embryos (39%), 4-cell embryos (35%), morula (32%) and blastocysts (26%) in cryopreserved oocytes were all significantly lower than those of fresh oocytes (P < 0.01). In addition, HDAC1 expression in the vitrified group was significantly lower (P< 0.05) than that in the control and toxicity groups at all developmental stages except for the blastocyst. Moreover, the vitrified-warmed oocytes showed significantly lower (P < 0.05) HDAC1 expression compared with that of control and toxicity groups. In conclusion, HDAC1 was expressed both in oocytes and in their in vitro-fertilized embryos. This decreased expression of HDAC1 in mouse oocytes and the embryos due to the cryopreservation may have a negative impact on embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Jie Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China
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26
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Shaposhnikova TG, Stolbovaia AI, Ponomartsev NV, Podgornaia OI. [Immuno- and histochemistry characteristics of morula and test cells in three ascidian species]. Tsitologiia 2011; 53:986-991. [PMID: 22359958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
One of the hypotheses suggests that test cells play a part in a larval tunic formation like morula cells in adult ascidians. It was shown that the antibodies against morula cell proteins of 26 and 48 kDa of the ascidian Styela rustica react on the paraffin sections with both the granules of morula cells and test cells of ascidians S. rustica and Boltenia echinata. Among the test cell proteins of S. rustica SDS-electrophoresis revealed at least 5 major proteins but no one with the molecular mass of 26 and 48 kDa and none of them react with the antibodies. At the same time AB26 bind the proteins with similar molecular masses in blood cells and in the probe containing test cells--27 and 28 kDa, correspondingly,--of ascidian Molgula citrina. Comparative histochemical analysis of morula and test cells of these three ascidian species was carried out. There are a lot of acid polysaccharides combined with proteins in test cells whereas morula cells contain mainly positively charged proteins. Thus it could be supposed that degree of manifestation of antigens might be different in the conditions of immunoblot and immunohistochemical analysis. The hypothesis of the similarity in morula and test cells functions and their interrelationship is discussed.
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27
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Shirazi A, Soleimani M, Karimi M, Nazari H, Ahmadi E, Heidari B. Vitrification of in vitro produced ovine embryos at various developmental stages using two methods. Cryobiology 2009; 60:204-10. [PMID: 19919830 DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2009.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2009] [Revised: 11/09/2009] [Accepted: 11/09/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of developmental stage of in vitro produced (IVP) ovine embryos and the type of vitrification procedure used on embryo cryotolerance. The IVP embryos were vitrified at five different developmental stages: 4-, 8- and 16-cell, morula, and blastocyst. For each stage, half of the embryos were vitrified in either 30 microl 3.4M glycerol+4.6M ethylene glycol in straw (method 1) or in <0.1 microl 2.7 M ethylene glycol+2.1 M Me(2)SO+0.5M sucrose placed on the inner surface of a straw (method 2) of vitrification solution, based on two different procedures. After warming embryo viability was determined by assessing the rates of re-expansion, survival, and blastocyst formation. The quality of surviving embryos was evaluated by their hatching rate and blastocyst cell numbers. In both vitrification methods, embryo survival progressively increased as the developmental stage progressed. In method 1 few of the early cleavage stage embryos (4-, 8- and 16-cell) could reach to the blastocyst stage following warming. There was no significant difference in blastocyst cell numbers (total, ICM, and trophectoderm cells) or hatching rate of blastocysts derived from vitrified embryos at different developmental stages. The number of dead cells in vitrified blastocysts in method 1 was higher than for non-vitrified blastocysts (P<0.05). The number of apoptotic cells in vitrified blastocysts was higher than for non-vitrified counterparts (P<0.05). In conclusion, both the developmental stage of IVP ovine embryos and the method of vitrification have a significant effect on the viability and developmental competence of sheep embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Shirazi
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
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28
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Chernov AS, Kovalitskaya YA, Sakharova NY, Chailakhyan LM. Influence of beta-endorphin on preimplantation development of mouse embryos in vitro. Dokl Biol Sci 2009; 428:471-474. [PMID: 19994794 DOI: 10.1134/s0012496609050238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- A S Chernov
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, pr. Nauki, Pushchino, Moscow oblast, 142292 Russia
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29
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Pawar SS, Malakar D, De AK, Akshey YS. Stem cell-like outgrowths from in vitro fertilized goat blastocysts. Indian J Exp Biol 2009; 47:635-642. [PMID: 19775069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
With an aim to isolate, culture and characterize goat embryonic stem cell-like cells derived from in vitro fertilized goat blastocysts, slaughterhouse derived goat oocytes were in vitro matured in maturation medium in 5% CO2 air at 38.5 degrees C. Matured oocytes were fertilized in vitro with fresh capacitated spermatozoa. Total 636 (36.5%) cleaved embryos were obtained which were further co-cultured with goat oviductal epithelial cells (GOEC) for 7-10 days. GOEC culture system was better for formation of morula (150; 44.3%) and hatched blastocyst (13; 3.8%) than embryo development medium culture system, [morula (69; 23.1%) and hatched blastocyst (5; 1.6%)]. Out of total blastocysts (48) the primary colonies were formed in 23.3% (7/30) blastocysts, and 66.6% (12/18) of hatched blastocysts. The cells of the inner cell mass (ICM) derived primary colonies were small, aggregated and tightly packed in nature forming embryoid bodies on further subculture. The colonies were stained to see the expression of alkaline phosphatase and positive result was obtained. Goat embryonic stem cell like outgrowths were also characterized for Oct-4 expression and positive result was found. It could be concluded that ICM cells were isolated from in vitro fertilized goat blastocysts and cultured for embryonic stem cell-like cells and expression of alkaline phosphatase and Oct-4 in these cells were positive.
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Affiliation(s)
- S S Pawar
- Animal Biotechnology Center, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal 132 001, India
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Abstract
This chapter describes the tools and the experimental route of targeted manipulation by aggregation in the mouse using targeted embryonic stem cells (ES cells). Instead of injecting ES cells into the blastocoel of a diploid blastocyst-stage embryo (3.5 dpc) ES cells can be brought together with diploid morula-stage embryos (2.5 dpc). The zona pellucida of the embryo needs to be removed and one or two embryos (sandwich aggregation) are put together with ES cells into an indentation well of a cell culture grade dish overnight for aggregation. This can be performed manually using a stereomicroscope and does not require any special training or expensive instrumentation.The next day, the embryo would have developed into a blastocyst in vitro and can be transferred to a pseudopregnant female mouse (see Chapter 15 ).The use of tetraploid embryos generated by electrofusion will lead to entirely ES cell-derived fetuses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Plück
- Centre for Mouse Genetics, Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Koeln, Germany.
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31
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Shevchenko AI, Demina VV, Mazurok NA, Zhelezova AI, Efremov IR, Shilov AG, Shevela AI, Belevantseva AV, Vlasov VV, Zakiian SM. [Extraembryonic endoderm stem cell lines from common voles of the genus Microtus]. Genetika 2008; 44:1477-1485. [PMID: 19137730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Twenty-eight independent extraembryonic endoderm (XEN) stem cell lines have been obtained from morula and blastocyst cells of common voles. Most cell lines form very few cell-cell contacts when growing and morphologically correspond to the XEN that were earlier described in mice. In addition, XEN cell lines with atypical morphology forming colonies have been obtained for the first time. Both types of XEN lines rapidly proliferate, retain their morphology and karyotype during more than 25 passages in cell culture, and express genes characteristic of XEN. One of two X chromosomes in XEN lines with karyotype XX has been shown to be inactive and associated with the Xist gene transcript. It has been demonstrated that the paternal X chromosome is inactive.
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32
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Loi P, Matsukawa K, Ptak G, Clinton M, Fulka J, Nathan Y, Arav A. Freeze-dried somatic cells direct embryonic development after nuclear transfer. PLoS One 2008; 3:e2978. [PMID: 18714340 PMCID: PMC2500158 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0002978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2008] [Accepted: 07/02/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The natural capacity of simple organisms to survive in a dehydrated state has long been exploited by man, with lyophylization the method of choice for the long term storage of bacterial and yeast cells. More recently, attempts have been made to apply this procedure to the long term storage of blood cells. However, despite significant progress, practical application in a clinical setting is still some way off. Conversely, to date there are no reports of attempts to lyophilize nucleated somatic cells for possible downstream applications. Here we demonstrate that lyophilised somatic cells stored for 3 years at room temperature are able to direct embryonic development following injection into enucleated oocytes. These remarkable results demonstrate that alternative systems for the long-term storage of cell lines are now possible, and open unprecedented opportunities in the fields of biomedicine and for conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasqualino Loi
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Teramo University, Teramo, Italy.
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Wang H, Ding T, Brown N, Yamamoto Y, Prince LS, Reese J, Paria BC. Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) is involved in morula to blastocyst transformation in the mouse. Dev Biol 2008; 318:112-25. [PMID: 18423437 PMCID: PMC2442465 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2008.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2007] [Revised: 02/13/2008] [Accepted: 03/06/2008] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
It is unknown whether or not tight junction formation plays any role in morula to blastocyst transformation that is associated with development of polarized trophoblast cells and fluid accumulation. Tight junctions are a hallmark of polarized epithelial cells and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) is a known key regulator of tight junction formation. Here we show that ZO-1 protein is first expressed during compaction of 8-cell embryos. This stage-specific appearance of ZO-1 suggests its participation in morula to blastocyst transition. Consistent with this idea, we demonstrate that ZO-1 siRNA delivery inside the blastomeres of zona-weakened embryos using electroporation not only knocks down ZO-1 gene and protein expressions, but also inhibits morula to blastocyst transformation in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, ZO-1 inactivation reduced the expression of Cdx2 and Oct-4, but not ZO-2 and F-actin. These results provide the first evidence that ZO-1 is involved in blastocyst formation from the morula by regulating accumulation of fluid and differentiation of nonpolar blastomeres to polar trophoblast cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hehai Wang
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Tianbing Ding
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Naoko Brown
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Yasutoshi Yamamoto
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Lawrence S. Prince
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Jeff Reese
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - B. C. Paria
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
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Abstract
The definitive axes of the mouse embryo can be unequivocally identified in embryos dissected at 5.5 days of gestation. However, how and when are these axes established remains an open question. At pre-implantation stages, different approaches have been aimed at determining if events occurring in the zygote influence the geometrical arrangement of the blastocyst. An intense debate has focused on whether the mouse embryo is a pre-patterned or a regulative structure. At post-implantation stages, the efforts have been concentrated in understanding how extra-embryonic tissues affect the formation of the primitive streak, the caudal marker of the anteroposterior axis. Here I summarize the last 10 years of research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime A Rivera-Perez
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01655, USA.
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Xu Y, He Z, Zhu H, Chen X, Li J, Zhang H, Pan X, Hu Y. Murine fertilized ovum, blastomere and morula cells lacking SP phenotype. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 50:762-5. [PMID: 17914640 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-007-0097-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2006] [Accepted: 08/08/2007] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In the field of stem cell research, SP (side population) phenotype is used to define the property that cells maintain a high efflux capability for some fluorescent dye, such as Hoechst 33342. Recently, many researches proposed that SP phenotype is a phenotype shared by some stem cells and some progenitor cells, and that SP phenotype is regarded as a candidate purification marker for stem cells. In this research, murine fertilized ova (including conjugate and single nucleus fertilized ova), 2-cell stage and 8-cell stage blastomeres, morulas and blastocysts were isolated and directly stained by Hoechst 33342 dye. The results show that fertilized ovum, blastomere and morula cells do not demonstrate any ability to efflux the dye. However, the inner cell mass (ICM) cells of blastocyst exhibit SP phenotype, which is consistent with the result of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in vitro. These results indicate that the SP phenotype of ICM-derived ESCs is an intrinsic property and independent of the culture condition in vitro, and that SP phenotype is one of the characteristics of at least some pluripotent stem cells, but is not shared by totipotent stem cells. In addition, the result that the SP phenotype of ICM cells disappeared when the inhibitor verapamil was added into medium implies that the SP phenotype is directly associated with ABCG2. These results suggest that not all the stem cells demonstrate SP phenotype, and that SP phenotype might act as a purification marker for partial stem cells such as some pluripotent embryonic stem cells and multipotent adult stem cells, but not for all stem cells exampled by the totipotent stem cells in the very early stage of mouse embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- YiXin Xu
- ChangZheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200003, China
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Abstract
The production of mouse chimeras is a common step in the establishment of genetically modified animal strains. Chimeras also provide a powerful experimental tool for following cell behavior during both prenatal and postnatal development. This protocol outlines a simple and economical technique for the production of large numbers of mouse chimeras using traditional diploid morula<-->diploid embryonic stem (ES) cell aggregations. Additional steps are included to describe the procedures necessary to produce specialized tetraploid chimeras using tetraploid morula<-->diploid ES cell aggregations. This increasingly popular form of chimera produces embryos of nearly complete ES cell derivation that can be used to speed transgenic production or ask developmental questions. Using this protocol, mouse chimeras can be generated and transferred to pseudopregnant surrogate mothers in a 5-d period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy S Eakin
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10021, USA
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Vandaele L, Mateusen B, Maes DGD, de Kruif A, Van Soom A. Temporal detection of caspase-3 and -7 in bovine in vitro produced embryos of different developmental capacity. Reproduction 2007; 133:709-18. [PMID: 17504915 DOI: 10.1530/rep-06-0109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Embryo quality is most frequently evaluated at the blastocyst stage, although quality parameters further back along the developmental axis, such as early developmental kinetics or oocyte quality, can be equally valuable. Despite the fact that previous studies in bovine have linked oocyte diameter and early developmental kinetics with blastocyst formation and viability, their relation with the incidence of apoptosis during embryo development remains relatively unexplored. Therefore, we related non-invasive parameters of oocyte and embryo quality, such as embryo kinetics, embryo morphology, and oocyte diameter, to the incidence of apoptosis throughout embryo development using fluorescent detection of active caspase-3 and -7. First, bovinein vitroembryos were selected according to developmental kinetics and morphology at four set times during culture and subjected to fluorescent detection of active caspase-3 and -7. Caspase activity was significantly higher in slow developing embryos in comparison with fast cleavers (P< 0.05), but was not related to embryo morphology. Second, bovine oocytes were divided into three groups on the basis of oocyte diameter and the resulting embryos were used for staining at the same four set times. Caspase activity was significantly higher in embryos derived from growing oocytes compared with those of fully grown oocytes at 45, 80, and 117 hours post-insemination (hpi;P< 0.05), but not at 168 hpi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leen Vandaele
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
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Abstract
It has been shown that it is possible to establish human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines from morula. Details of the aforementioned injection method of morula under blastocyst are described in this chapter. This chapter also discloses the application of simultaneous staining for two markers, TRA-2-39 and Oct-4, for characteristics of nondifferentiated hESC derived from morula and gives a method. Technical approaches of freezing morula-derived hESC are discussed.
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Abstract
This study was first employed to investigate the developmental potential of mouse hatched blastocyts (HBs) vitrified by a two-step open-pulled straw (OPS) method. HBs were obtained by culture of morulae in vitro. First, the embryos were placed in four cryprotectant solutions - that is, 10% ethylene glycol (EG), 10%E + 10%D (10% EG and 10% dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) in mPBS), EFS30 (30% EG, Ficoll, and sucrose) and EDFS30 (15% EG, 15% DMSO, Ficoll, and sucrose)--at 25 degrees C for 0.5 to 10 min, respectively, to determine their optimal survival after rapid dilution in 0.5 M sucrose. Secondly, based on the above best survival, the embryos were plunged into liquid nitrogen after first pretreatment in 10%E for 0.5 min and then 0.5 min equilibration in EFS30 (Group 1), or 10%E + 10%D and EDFS30 for 0.5 min, respectively (Group 2). When warming, three methods were used to dilute the cryoprotectants from the vitrified embryos. The embryos were assessed by the re-expansion of the blastocoel or development to term. The result showed that all the vitrified-warmed HBs got high in vitro survival rates (83.7% to 98.9%). The highest in vitro survival rates (87.8% in Group 1, 98.9% in Group 2) were obtained when the vitrified embryos were diluted first in 0.3 M sucrose for 5 min, then in 0.15 M sucrose for 2 min (method C). When the vitrified embryos diluted with method C were transferred, their survival rate in vivo (35.5% to 42.2% of the total) were similar to (P > 0.05) that of control (45.7%). These results demonstrate OPS method was highly efficient for the cryopreservation of mouse HBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Zhou
- Laboratory of Animal Embryonic Biotechnology, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China
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40
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Shinozawa T, Sugawara A, Matsumoto A, Han YJ, Tomioka I, Inai K, Sasada H, Kobayashi E, Matsumoto H, Sato E. Development of rat tetraploid and chimeric embryos aggregated with diploid cells. ZYGOTE 2006; 14:287-97. [PMID: 17266787 DOI: 10.1017/s096719940600387x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2005] [Accepted: 02/08/2006] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
SummaryIn the present study, we examined the preimplantation and postimplantation development of rat tetraploid embryos produced by electrofusion of 2-cell-stage embryos. Developmental rate of tetraploid embryos to morula or blastocyst stage was 93% (56/60) and similar to that found in diploid embryos (95%, 55/58). After embryo transfer, rat tetraploid embryos showed implantation and survived until day 8 of pregnancy, however the conceptuses were aberrant on day 9. In mouse, tetraploid embryos have the ability to support the development of blastomeres that cannot develop independently. As shown in the present study, a pair of diploid blastomeres from the rat 8-cell-stage embryo degenerated immediately after implantation. Therefore, we examined whether rat tetraploid embryos have the ability to support the development of 2/8 blastomeres. We produced chimeric rat embryos in which a pair of diploid blastomeres from an 8-cell-stage green fluorescent protein negative (GFP−) embryo was aggregated with three tetraploid blastomeres from 4-cell GFP-positive (GFP+) embryos. The developmental rate of rat 2n(GFP−) ↔ 4n(GFP+) embryos to the morula or blastocyst stages was 93% (109/117) and was similar to that found for 2n(GFP−) ↔ 2n(GFP+) embryos (100%, 51/51). After embryo transfer, 2n(GFP−) ↔ 4n(GFP+) conceptuses were examined on day 14 of pregnancy, the developmental rate to fetus was quite low (4%, 4/109) and they were all aberrant and smaller than 2n(GFP−) ↔ 2n(GFP+) conceptuses, whereas immunohistochemical analysis showed no staining for GFP in fetuses. Our results suggest that rat tetraploid embryos are able to prolong the development of diploid blastomeres that cannot develop independently, although postimplantation development was incomplete.
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Ikeda S, Prendes JM, Alonso-Montes C, Rodríguez A, Díez C, Kitagawa M, Imai H, Gómez E. Apoptosis-independent Poor Morphology of Bovine Embryos Produced by Multiple Ovulation. Reprod Domest Anim 2006; 41:383-5. [PMID: 16984342 DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2006.00672.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) programmes in cattle, a considerable number of morphologically poor-quality embryos continue to be produced; this is one of the limiting factors of the technique. Apoptosis has often been implicated in developmental arrest and fragmentation; these are regarded as poor traits of embryonic quality in mammalian pre-implantation embryos. In the present study, apoptosis was assessed in morphologically poor-quality embryos in comparison with good-quality embryos that were recovered from a MOET programme. Retarded embryos (two to 16 cell stage), morulae with severe fragmentation and morphologically good-quality morulae recovered from superstimulated cows at day 7 post-insemination were subjected to TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) and Hoechst staining. Cell nuclei that showed both TUNEL staining and apoptotic morphology were considered to be apoptotic. Apoptotic index (AI) was calculated as the percentage of apoptotic cells per embryo. Fifteen of 17 retarded embryos and 10 of 15 morphologically poor-quality morulae did not show signs of apoptosis. The mean AIs in the morphologically poor-quality embryos (two to 16 cell stage, 2.2%; poor morulae, 1.3%) were as low as that in the good-quality embryos (2.9%). These results suggest that another mode of developmental arrest and/or fragmentation that is independent of apoptosis occurs in morphologically poor-quality embryos recovered from MOET programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Ikeda
- Livestock Farm of Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyo-Tamba, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
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Lee KH, Chuang CK, Wang HW, Stone L, Chen CH, Tu CF. An alternative simple method for mass production of chimeric embryos by coculturing denuded embryos and embryonic stem cells in Eppendorf vials. Theriogenology 2006; 67:228-37. [PMID: 16987549 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2006.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2006] [Accepted: 07/06/2006] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The generation of germline competent chimeric mice via embryonic stem (ES) cells is a crucial step in developing gene-manipulated mouse models. To date, techniques for generating chimeric mice include direct microinjection of ES cells into the cavity of 3.5-d post-coitum (dpc) blastocysts and aggregating or coculturing 2.5 dpc zona pellucida-free (denuded) embryos with ES cells. We present here a procedure that is simple and reproducible for mass producing (10-150 embryos/vial/time) chimeric embryos by coculturing denuded 8-cell embryos and morula in 0.8 mL KSOM-AA medium containing 5 x 10(5)mL-1 purified green fluorescence protein-expressing ES cells (either fresh or thawed) in an 1.7 mL Eppendorf vial for 3h. The resulting chimeras had substantial levels of chimerism and high germline transmission rates. Therefore, the method developed in this study can provide a simple and mass reproducible alternative method (to germline transmitter chimeric mice), without technological and instrumental difficulties, for generating chimeric embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun-Hsiung Lee
- Division of Biotechnology, Animal Technology Institute Taiwan, PO Box 23, Chunan 35099, Miaoli, Taiwan.
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Tanaka TS, Lopez de Silanes I, Sharova LV, Akutsu H, Yoshikawa T, Amano H, Yamanaka S, Gorospe M, Ko MSH. Esg1, expressed exclusively in preimplantation embryos, germline, and embryonic stem cells, is a putative RNA-binding protein with broad RNA targets. Dev Growth Differ 2006; 48:381-90. [PMID: 16872451 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-169x.2006.00875.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
In our earlier attempt to identify genes involved in the maintenance of cellular pluripotency, we found that KH-domain protein Embryonal stem cell-specific gene 1 (Esg1) showed similar expression patterns to those of Oct3/4 (Pou5f1), whereas the forced repression of Oct3/4 in mouse embryonic stem cells immediately downregulated the expression of Esg1. Here we further confirm this overlap by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical analyses. Both Esg1 transcript and protein exist in the egg and preimplantation embryos. At embryonic day 3.5, blastocyst stage, however, ESG1 protein was more abundant in the inner cell mass (ICM) than in trophectoderm (TE), whereas Esg1 transcript was detected in both the ICM and the TE, particularly in the polar trophectoderm. The presence of an RNA-binding KH-domain in ESG1 led us to search for and identify 902 target transcripts by microarray analysis of immunoprecipitated ESG1 complex. Interaction of 20 target mRNA with ESG1, including Cdc25a, Cdc42, Ezh2, Nfyc and Nr5a2, was further validated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction of the immunoprecipitation material, supporting the notion that ESG1 is an RNA-binding protein which associates with specific target transcripts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuya S Tanaka
- Laboratory of Genetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Liu CH, Lee MS, Hsieh CH, Huang CC, Tsao HM, Hsieh YS. Prostacyclin enhances mouse embryo development and hatching but not increased embryonic cell number and volume. Fertil Steril 2006; 86:1047-52. [PMID: 16963047 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2006.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2005] [Revised: 05/03/2006] [Accepted: 05/03/2006] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate in vitro effects of prostacyclin (PGI2), we cultured mouse embryos with a PGI2 analogue, because human fallopian tube cells synthesize abundant amounts of PGI2. DESIGN Animal model. SETTING Animal study in a private infertility clinic. ANIMAL(S) Mouse embryos. INTERVENTION(S) In vitro effects of PGI2 analogue on mouse embryos. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Development rate, blastocyst volume, rate of complete hatching, and cell number of hatched blastocysts. RESULT(S) Exposure to PGI2 analogue during the four-cell to morula stages was critical to enhanced embryo development and hatching but did not increase blastocyst volume or cell number of hatched blastocysts. The effects of PGI2 analogue were statistically significant at 1.0 micromol/L and 2.0 micromol/L in human tubal fluid medium, with or without 1% bovine serum albumin. CONCLUSION(S) Prostacyclin analogue enhanced embryo development and hatching, but PGI2 did not increase number of cells in hatched blastocysts or blastocyst volume.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Hsien Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Chung-Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
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45
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Kress A, Selwood L. Marsupial Hypoblast: Formation and Differentiation of the Bilaminar Blastocyst in Sminthopsis macroura. Cells Tissues Organs 2006; 182:155-70. [PMID: 16914918 DOI: 10.1159/000093965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/24/2006] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoblast formation in Sminthopsis macroura starts in blastocysts with a size between 1.0 and 1.4 mm, in which cells appear to be similar to each other, and finishes at the complete 2.6- or 2.7-mm bilaminar blastocyst, which is fully lined with hypoblast cells. When hypoblast cells begin allocation, the pluriblast region progressively differentiates from the trophoblast. Some pluriblast cells, which are otherwise undistinguished, lying on one side near the boundary of the circular pluriblast, move to the inside as hypoblast cells by mitosis or migration. They initially line the pluriblast and then the trophoblast. Hypoblast cells continue to leave the pluriblast/epiblast and intercalate into the underlying hypoblast layer until the advanced stages of bilaminar blastocysts. Associated with the origin of the hypoblast cells, the residual surface epiblast cells become less flatted and more cuboidal or rounded in shape. Characteristics are increased density of ribosomes, granular endoplasmic reticulum and a marked apical-basal polarity related to apical microvilli and endocytosis and more vesicles with flocculent content and a loss of the crystalloid deposits that were typical for earlier stages. Trophoblast cells become flat and elongated with only few vesicles, and they transform into extra-embryonic ectoderm cells, which are broader, rather square and with a higher density of ribosomes. Hypoblast cells are characterized by a relatively high level of ribosomes and endoplasmic reticulum, fewer small vesicles and no noticeable endocytotic processes and initially form a reticulum because the cells preferentially migrate along cell-cell boundaries by extension of long filopodia. Once hypoblast cells reach the boundary of the embryonic area and extend to line the trophoblast, they progressively consolidate into a squamous epithelium. It is suggested that the origin of the hypoblast from one side of the pluriblast and its invasion under the trophoblast from proliferating centres at the edge of the embryonic area provide mechanisms for patterning epiblast, hypoblast, trophoblast and extra-embryonic ectoderm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annetrudi Kress
- Department of Anatomy, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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46
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Abstract
Rat 1-cell embryos, recovered from naturally mated females, were cultured in a chemically defined medium (mR1ECM) or in mR1ECM supplemented with BSA (4 mg/ml; mR1ECM-BSA) or fetal bovine serum (FBS; 10%, v:v; mR1ECM-FBS) instead of polyvinylalcohol. There was no difference in percentages of embryos that developed to the 2-cell to blastocyst stages between mR1ECM and mR1ECM-BSA, but in mR1ECM-FBS, no development beyond the 2-cell stage was observed. When embryos were transferred to mR1ECM-FBS from mR1ECM after 24 to 64 h of culture, development of embryos to and beyond the 4-cell stage was inhibited. However, when transferred after 80 h of culture, more embryos developed to blastocysts and hatching or hatched blastocysts than in embryos cultured in mR1ECM. When 8-cell embryos and early morulae obtained after 72 and 80 h of culture in mR1ECM, respectively, were cultured in mR1ECM-FBS, a higher proportion of early morulae developed to the blastocyst stage than did 8-cell embryos. When morulae obtained after culture in mR1ECM or mR1ECM-BSA were transferred to recipient females, there was no difference in proportions of fetuses obtained. However, a higher proportion of blastocysts cultured in mR1ECM-FBS developed to fetuses compared with those obtained in mR1ECM. These results indicate that BSA has neither deleterious nor beneficial effects on development of rat 1-cell embryos. In contrast, FBS has deleterious effects on early cleavage of embryos but it promotes more rapid development of morulae to blastocysts, resulting in better quality blastocysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myung-Sook Han
- The Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
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Green P, Luty A, Nair S, Radford J, Raftos D. A second form of collagenous lectin from the tunicate, Styela plicata. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2006; 144:343-50. [PMID: 16716625 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2006.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2005] [Revised: 03/23/2006] [Accepted: 03/25/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
This study characterised a 90 kDa lectin from an invertebrate chordate, the tunicate Styela plicata. One- and two-dimensional electrophoresis showed that the apparent molecular weight of this protein is maintained under both reducing and non-reducing conditions, suggesting that its native form is a monomer. The 90 kDa lectin was localised within a single type of hemocyte (morula cells), but was secreted from those cells when tunicates were challenged with the inflammatory elicitor, zymosan. Functional studies showed that the 90 kDa protein binds to galactose-based sugars in a divalent cation-dependent manner. Amino acid composition analysis and N-terminal amino acid sequencing indicated that the 90 kDa lectin is related to a previously characterised, collagenous lectin from S. plicata, splic43. However, peptide mass fingerprinting identified numerous differences between the two proteins. This suggests that the 90 kDa molecule represents a novel protein that is involved in host defence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Green
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
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48
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Chazaud C, Yamanaka Y, Pawson T, Rossant J. Early Lineage Segregation between Epiblast and Primitive Endoderm in Mouse Blastocysts through the Grb2-MAPK Pathway. Dev Cell 2006; 10:615-24. [PMID: 16678776 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2006.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 655] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2006] [Revised: 02/17/2006] [Accepted: 02/20/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
It has been thought that early inner cell mass (ICM) is a homogeneous population and that cell position in the ICM leads to the formation of two lineages, epiblast (EPI) and primitive endoderm (PE), by E4.5. Here, however, we show that the ICM at E3.5 is already heterogeneous. The EPI- and PE-specific transcription factors, Nanog and Gata6, were expressed in the ICM in a random "salt and pepper" pattern, as early as E3.5, in a mutually exclusive manner. Lineage tracing showed predominant lineage restriction of single ICM cells at E3.5 to either lineage. In embryos lacking Grb2 where no PE forms, Gata6 expression was lost and all ICM cells were Nanog positive. We propose a model in which the ICM develops as a mosaic of EPI and PE progenitors at E3.5, dependent on Grb2-Ras-MAP kinase signaling, followed by later segregation of the progenitors into the appropriate cell layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Chazaud
- Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5G1X5, Canada
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49
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Oliveira ATD, Lopes RFF, Rodrigues JL. Gene Expression and Developmental Competence of Bovine Embryos Produced In Vitro with Different Serum Concentrations. Reprod Domest Anim 2006; 41:129-36. [PMID: 16519718 DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2006.00653.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the developmental rates and relative abundance of Hsp 70.1 and Glut-1 transcripts in in vivo- and in vitro-produced (IVP) bovine embryos in media supplemented with bovine serum albumin (BSA) or different oestrous cow serum concentrations. In experiment 1, in vitro maturation and culture media were supplemented with 0.4% BSA or 1, 5, 10 or 20% of oestrous cow serum (ECS). The analysis of the expression of Hsp 70.1 and Glut-1 was carried out in individual days 7 and 8 embryos by a semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. In experiment 2, in vivo-produced morulae were collected on day 7 of the oestrous cycle and employed for the comparison of the relative abundances of Hsp 70.1 and Glut-1 transcripts with IVP morulae produced using two protein sources (10% ECS or 0.4% BSA). No differences were observed in cleavage rate among groups, but blastocyst formation (27%) and hatching rates (78%) were significantly higher in IVP embryos produced with 20% ECS than the other groups (p<0.05). No significant differences were observed in the relative abundances of Hsp 70.1 and Glut-1 mRNA in days 7 and 8 blastocysts expanded blastocysts between groups. The abundances of mRNA for those genes were similar between IVP and in vivo-produced morulae. In spite of the alterations observed in embryonic development, the presence of serum at distinct concentrations did not appear to alter the relative abundance profiles of Hsp 70.1 and Glut-1 compared with controls or the BSA supplementation to the IVP media.
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Affiliation(s)
- A T D Oliveira
- Embryology and Biotechnology of Reproduction Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av Bento Goncalves, Porto Alegre RS, Brazil
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50
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Ribas R, Oback B, Ritchie W, Chebotareva T, Taylor J, Maurício AC, Sousa M, Wilmut I. Modifications to Improve the Efficiency of Zona-Free Mouse Nuclear Transfer. Cloning and Stem Cells 2006; 8:10-5. [PMID: 16571073 DOI: 10.1089/clo.2006.8.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, some modifications were made to the zona-free nuclear transfer technique in the mouse in order to achieve greater efficiency. Firstly, a 1-h interval was allowed between cumulus removal and zona pellucida digestion. Secondly, acid Tyrode's was selected for zona pellucida removal, because contrary to pronase, it allows embryo survival during parthenogenic activation in the absence of calcium. Even when the exposure time to pronase was reduced to as little as 1 min or washed with fetal calf serum to inhibit the enzyme, the percentage of lysis during activation in the absence of calcium was still very high. Thirdly, electrofusion was performed at room temperature (21 degrees C), instead of 30 degrees C as in our previous experiments. Finally, embryos were cultured in groups of 12-15, instead of individually, using a "well of the wells" system during activation and culture. When compared, parthenogenic activated control embryos showed an increase in the development to blastocyst when cultured in pairs instead of individually. By the end of the experiments and using embryonic stem (ES) cells, there was a significant increase in fusion rate (1.5-fold increase) and in development to morula/blastocyst from cleaved reconstructed embryos (1.5-fold increase) when compared with the results before the modifications. A 2.4-fold increase in overall efficiency was achieved from the oocyte to morula/blastocyst stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Ribas
- Department of Gene Function and Development, Roslin Institute, Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland, United Kingdom.
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