• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.245-249
• /
• 1998

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of growth factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) on maturation of bovine follicular oocytes in vitro. Oocytes were recovered from the ovaries of slaughtered Hanwoos. The oocytes were matured in TCM 199 at 39$^{\circ}C$, 5% $CO_2$ in air. Growth factors were added to maturation medium as follows: control (no serum), EGF (10ng/m1, 50ng/ml or 100ng/m1), IGF-1 (100ng/m1) and EGF (50ng/ml) + IGF-1 (100ng/m1). The oocytes were placed onto a slide and stained with aceto-orcein dye. Nuclear maturation was evaluated and classified as germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), metaphase-I (MI) or metaphase-ll(Mll). Maturation rates were 37.9% (control), 45.8% (EGF, 10ng/m1), 55.8% (EGF, 50ng/ml), 44.4% (EGF, 100ng/m1), 46.7% (IGF-1, 100ng/m1) and 67.0% (IGF-1+EGF). The highest group developed to Mll stage was IGF-1+EGF treatment group (p<0.05). Therefore, nuclear maturation of bovine oocytes were affected by both of growth factors, and it seems to have a mutual activity between them.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.139-148
• /
• 2010

Jatropha curcas L. (Physic nut) is a commercially important non-edible oil seed crop known for its use as an alternate source of biodiesel. In order to investigate the morphogenic potential of immature embryo, explants from four developmental stages were cultured on medium supplemented with combinations of auxins and cytokinins. It was found that the size of embryo is critical for the establishment of callus. Immature embryos (1.1-1.5 cm) obtained from the fruits 6 weeks after pollination showed a good response of morphogenic callus induction (85.7%) and subsequent plant regeneration (70%) with the maximum number of plantlets (4.7/explant) on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with IBA (0.5 $mg\;l^{-1}$) and BA (1.0 $mg\;l^{-1}$). The above medium when supplemented with growth adjuvants such as 100 $mg\;l^{-1}$ casein hydrolysate + 200 $mg\;l^{-1}$ L-glutamine + 8.0 $mg\;l^{-1}$ $CuSO_4$ resulted in an even higher frequency of callus induction (100%). Plant regeneration (90%) with the maximum number of plantlets (10/explant) was achieved on MS medium supplemented with 500 $mg\;l^{-1}$ polyvinyl pyrrolidone + 30 $mg\;l^{-1}$ citric acid + 1 $mg\;l^{-1}$ BA + 0.5 $mg\;l^{-1}$ Kn + 0.25 $mg\;l^{-1}$ IBA. It was observed that plantlet regeneration could occur either through organogenesis of morphogenic callus or via multiplication of pre-existing meristem in immature embryos. The age of immature embryos and addition of a combination of growth adjuvants to the culture medium appear to be critical for obtaining high regeneration rates. Well-developed shoots rooted on half-halfstrength MS medium supplemented with 0.5 $mg\;l^{-1}$ IBA and 342 $mg\;l^{-1}$ trehalose. The rooted plants after acclimatization were successfully transferred to the field in different agro-climatic zones in India. This protocol has been successfully evaluated on five elite lines of J. curcas.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.43-48
• /
• 1997

Dynamic parameters of biochemistry including the POD (peroxidase) activity, contents of DNA and RNA, isozymes of POD and ES (esterase) in American send (Panax quinquefolium L.) seed are reported in the present paper. The dynamic changes of POD activity proved that the PAS (physiological afterripening stage) is a stage in which some substances are prepared for seed germination. The POD activity correlated with ER (embryo ratio) significantly DNA content changed little only within 0.0036∼0.013 mg/ml, which did not correlate with ER. RNA content changed from 0.1539 to 1.0313 mg/ml and correlated significantly with RE during all of the embryo afterripening. None of the POD isozyme band was obtained in ESGS (embryo slowly growth stage), but five bands in ERGS (embryo rapidly growth stage) and six bands in PAS. Four bands of ES isozymes were obtained in ESGS, but six bands in ERGS, particularly, the content of ES isozymes increased in PAS. All of these may provide some information for understanding the dormancy mechanisms of American song seed.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.211-215
• /
• 1994

Lipoxygenase is involved in the formation of certain undesirable flavors of soybean products. Three isozymes(L-1, L-2 and L-3) of lipoxygenase have been identified in soybean seeds, and the three types of mutants lacking L-1, L-2 and L-3, respectively, were detected in the 1980's. In this paper, lipoxygenase activity was measured to investigate the response of lipoxygenase in organs and tissues during soybean development. There was no tendency according to genotypes between lipoxygenase lacking mutants and normal soybeans in lipoxygenase activity of leaf at $V_3$ and $V_5$ stage. Likewise, pod wall lipoxygenase was no difference among genotypes tested at R$_{6}$ stage. Seed coat lipoxygenase activity was similar among the lipoxygenase lacking mutants, while normal soybean was lower as compared with that of the lipoxygenase lacking mutants. Embryo and cotyledon lipoxygenase activity in the lipoxygenase lacking mutants was much lower than that of normal soybean, also there was large difference among lipoxygenase lacking mutants. Thus, the lipoxygenase null mutant showed very weak value although the lacking L-3 mutant had a large effect on developing embryo lipoxygenase activity. It was suggested that soybean lipoxygenase isozymes expressed in embryo may be different from those expressed in the pod wall and leaf tissues.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.64 no.3
• /
• pp.346-358
• /
• 2021

Secondary neurulation is a morphological process described since the second half of the 19th century; it accounts for the formation of the caudal spinal cord in mammals including humans. A similar process takes place in birds. This form of neurulation is caused by the growth of the tail bud region, the most caudal axial region of the embryo. Experimental work in different animal species leads to questioning dogmas widely disseminated in the medical literature. Thus, it is clearly established that the tail bud is not a mass of undifferentiated pluripotent cells but is made up of a juxtaposition of territories whose fate is different. The lumens of the two tubes generated by the two modes of neurulation are continuous. There seem to be multiple cavities in the human embryo, but discrepancies exist according to the authors. Finally, the tissues that generate the secondary neural tube are initially located in the most superficial layer of the embryo. These cells must undergo internalization to generate the secondary neurectoderm. A defect in internalization could lead to an open neural tube defect that contradicts the dogma that a secondary neurulation defect is closed by definition.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2000.05a
• /
• pp.69-71
• /
• 2000

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.46 no.4
• /
• pp.166-172
• /
• 2019

Objective: In vitro maturation (IVM) of immature oocytes can be useful for some infertile patients. In IVM programs, the rates of embryo formation and pregnancy are low. Therefore, it is essential to recognize the main factors involved in regulating oocyte maturation in vitro. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and cumulus cell (CC) supplementation in IVM medium on the rates of embryo formation and viability of human blastocysts. Methods: A total of 80 germinal vesicle oocytes from stimulated cycles underwent an IVM program. The oocytes were divided into four groups, where group I consisted of IVM media only and served as the control, group II consisted of IVM+CCs, group III consisted of IVM+GDF9 (200 ng/mL), and group IV consisted of IVM+CCs+GDF9 (200 ng/mL). Intracytoplasmic sperm injection was performed on the IVM oocytes, and the cleavage embryos that were generated were vitrified. Following thawing, the embryos were cultured for 3 additional days, and the viability rates of the developed blastocysts were determined. Results: The maturation rate of the oocytes did not differ significantly across the four groups. The fertilization rate in group II was significantly higher than that in the control group (76.5% vs. 46.2%). Embryo formation was significantly more frequent in all experimental groups than in the control group, while blastocyst formation did not show significant differences in the three experimental groups compared to the control. The mean viability rates in groups II, III, and IV were 58.16%, 55.91%, and 55.95%, respectively, versus 37.78% in the control group (p< 0.05). Conclusion: Supplementation of IVM culture media with GDF9 and CCs enhanced the fertilization, embryo formation, and viability rates of blastocysts generated from vitrified cleavage embryos.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.129-135
• /
• 1997

Morphogenetic responses were investigated by culturing embryo and leaf explants of Korean wild type tea plant, Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze. Induction of direct somatic embryogenesis as well as adventitious and/or axillary shoots was obtained from mature zygotic embryo cultures on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium having 5 to $20\mu\textrm{M}$cytokinin a lone. Morphogenetic response was decreased dramatically by the addition of auxins tested. One hundred percent of induced and isolated shoots formed roots after four weeks of culture on half-strength MS or quarter-strength Schenk and Hildebrandt (SH) media supplemented with $10\mu\textrm{M}$indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Immature zygotic embryos were shown to be a suitable explant for embryogenic callus formation in the presence of 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid(2, 4-D) in basal medium. Mature zygotic embryo originated leaves were used to test their ability for mophogenesis by incorporating plant growth regulators such as IBA, naphthyl-1-acetic acid (NAA), and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). Apparently, the morphogenetic responses of the cultured explant sources on the types and/or levels of plant growth regulators tested were observed visually.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.229-246
• /
• 1997

Implantation is a most important biological process during pregnancy whereby conceptus establishes its survival as well as maintenance of pregnancy. During the periimplantation period, both uterine endometriurn and conceptus synthesize and secrete a host of growth factors and cytokines which mediate the actions of estrogen and /or progesterone and also exert their steroid-independent actions. Growth factors expressed by the materno-conceptal unit en masse have important roles in cell migration, stimulation or inhibition of cell proliferation, cellular differentiation, maintenance of pregnancy and materno-conceptal communications in an autorcrine /paracrine manner. The present review focuses on the role of the intrauterine IGF system during periimplantation conceptus development. The IGF system comprises of IGF- I and IGF- II ligands, types I and II IGF receptors and six or more IGF-binding proteins(IGFBPs). IGFs and IGFBPs are expressed and secreted by uterine endometrium with tissue, pregnancy stage and species specificities under the influence of estrogen, progesterone and other growth factor(s). Conceptus also synthesizes components of the IGF system beginning from a period between 2-cell and blastocyst stages. Maternal IGFs are utilized by both maternal and conceptal tissues; conceptus-derived growth factors are believed to be taken up primarily by conceptus. IGFs enhance the development of both maternal and conceptal compartments in a wide range of biological processes. They stimulate proliferation and differentiation of endometrial cells and placental precursor cells including decidual transformation from stromal cells, placental formation and the synthesis of some steroid and protein hormones by differentiated endometrial cells or placenta. It is also well-documented in a number of experimental settings that both IGFs stimulate preimplantation embryo development. In slight contrast to these, prenatal mice carrying a null mutation of IGF and /or IGF receptor gene do not exhibit any apparent growth retardation until after implantation. Reason (s) for this discrepancy between the knock-out result and the in vitro ones, however, is not known. IGFBPs, in general, are believed to inhibit IGF action within the materno-conceptal unit, thereby allowing endometrial stromal cell differentiation as well as dampening ex cessive placental invasion into maternal tissue. There is evidence, however, indicating that IGFBP can enhance IGF action depending on environrnental conditions perhaps by directioning IGF ligand to the target cell. There is also a third possibility that certain IGFBPs and their proteolytic fragments may have their own biological activities independent of the IGF. In addition to IGFBPs, IGFBP proteases including those found within the uterine tissue or lumen are thought to enhance IGF bioavailability by degrading their substrates without affecting their bound ligand. In this regard, preliminary results in early pregnant pigs suggest that a partially characterized IGFBP protease activity in uterine luminal fluid enhances intrauterine IGF bioavailability during conceptus morphological development. In summary, a number of in vitro results indicate that IGFs stimulates the development of the rnaterno-conceptal unit during the periimplantation period. IGFBPs appear to inhibit IGF action by sequestering their ligands, whereas IGFBP proteases are thought to enhance intrauterine bioavailability of IGFs. Much is remaining to be clarified, however, regarding the roles of the individual IGF system components. These include in vivo evidence for the role of IGFs in early conceptus development, identification of IGF-regulated genes and their functions, specific roles for individual IGFBPs, identification and characterization of IGFBP proteases. The intrauterine IGF club house thus will be paying a lot of attention to forthcoming results in above and other areas, with its door wide-open!

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.54-58
• /
• 1988

To define natural embryo growth and germination of the Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A.Meyer) seed, freshly harvested and depulped seeds were seeded on nursery bed at Aug. 5 without stratification. At 100 days after seeding, embryo/endosperm length ratio of the seeds in nursery bed was higher than that of the seeds which were stratified with conventional method for 100 days. And also there was no significant difference between dehiscence ratio of the seeds in nursery bed and that from stratification with sand. The germination ratio of the ginseng seeds seeded without stratification at Aug. 5 was about 57% in average of 2 years and was not significantly lower than that of the seeds seeded after stratification at Nov. 15. And there were also no significant differencies of plant growth after germination between the ginseng seedlings from two seeding methods.