• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.114-114
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• 2004

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.357-366
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• 1996

The present experiments aimed to investigate the metabolism of calcium during oocyte maturation in rat. The concentration of free calcium and calmodulin in oocytes was measured respectively by using of fluo-3/AM and FITC with microscope fluorescence spectrometer. The ultrastructural localization of calcium precipitates in oocytes was observed with the transmission electron microscope. Cumulus-free immature oocytes(GV-oocyte) were cultured in vitro through 15 hours. The free calcium concentration in GV oocyte was $55.9{\pm}3.5nM$. In calcium-containing medium, the free calcium concentration was increased in germinal vesicle breakdown(GVBD) oocyte($64.2{\pm}7.3nM$). In normal medium after calcium chelator treatment ($10{\mu}M$ BAPTA/AM), the free calcium contents were slightly lower than those in control group. In calcium-free medium, the free calcium content was drastically increased in GVBD($72.7{\pm}3.4nM$) and metaphase I - anaphase I ($88.0{\pm}3.4nM$) oocyte. In maturation rate of oocytes, GVBD rate was high in control group($82.9{\pm}6.55%$) and calcium chelator treatment group($91.2{\pm}4.4%$), but in calcium-free medium group, it was low and then the oocyte was degenerated without polar body formation. Relative content of calmodulin in oocyte was significantly(P<0.001) increased in metaphase I - anaphase I than in GV and GVBD oocyte. The calcium precipitates were observed in mitochondria and cytoplasm of GV oocyte but that were not observed in mitochondria of GVBD and metaphase I - anaphase I oocyte. And then the calcium precipitates reappeared in mitochondria of metaphase II oocyte. The above results indicate that changes in free calcium and calmodulin concentration of oocyte occur according to the maturational stages and the extracellular calcium is required during oocyte maturation. Also change of calcium localization in oocyte occurs according to the maturational stages.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.267-273
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• 2004

Maturation of oocytes is maintained by complex procedures along with follicular genesis and is a critical step for embryonic development. Purine known as an oocyte maturation regulator is present in follicular fluid. In this study, the roles of guanosine as a strong inhibitor of GVBD and a modulator of cyclic GMP concentration in ooyctes were revealed. Denuded immature oocytes were treated with guanosine, and the maturation rates and cGMP concentration of oocytes were measured. GVBD was blocked in a concentration dependent manner by guanosine, but this effect was reversible. However, GVBD was lagged yet not significant by adenosine. Both guanosine and adenosine modified cGMP concentration in oocytes. The characteristic of the guanosine-treated oocyte was significantly higher cGMP compared with the adenosine-treated oocyes at initial time of the maturation. Based these results, guanosine may be a strong and reversible GVBD inhibitor. Although the precise mechanism of guanosine presently is unclear, the results suggest that guanosine may lead the accumulation of cGMP in oocyte cytoplasm, which in turn suppresses GVBD.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.242-242
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• 2004

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of various supplements added into maturation medium of immature porcine oocytes on quantity of cytoplasmic lipid droplets(LD), subsequent fertilization and development to the blastocyst stage in vitro. The basic maturation medium was TCM 199 + 1 ㎍/㎖ FSH, 0.57 mM cystein, 10 ng/㎖ EGF and was supplemented various supplements(10% FBS, 10% pFF, 0.4% BSA, 1.0% BSA, 0.4% PVP, 1.0% PVP). (omitted)

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.115-118
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• 2006

Cyclin B1 is known to reflect the M-phase promoting factor (MPF), a universal regulator of G2/M-phase transition, activity during the process of oocytes maturation. To investigate whether culture condition affects the maturation rate and the expression of cyclin B1 protein, bovine immature oocytes are stimulated and cultured according to the following protocols: Experiment 1: denuded oocytes (denude) only, COC only, denuded oocytes+granulosa cells (denude+GCs) and COC+GCs; Experiment 2: no-activation (control), 7% ethanol for 5 min and $10{\mu}l/ml$ ionomycin for 5 min at immediately before maturation. The maturation rates of denude and no-activation group were significantly lower in both experiments (P<0.05), respectively. Co-culture or stimulation method in bovine immature oocytes culture increases the cyclin B1 expression significantly in both experiments (P<0.05). Based on these results, culture condition affects the maturation rate and the expression of cyclin B1 protein during the first meiotic maturation in bovine immature oocytes.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.121-125
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• 2005

The present study was performed to determine the ability of canine oocytes to achieve nuclear maturation according to oocyte diameter and different culture environments. All of the collected oocytes were classified by grade 1 to 3 and by their diameters such as $<100{\mu}m,\;<100{\mu}m\;to\;<110{\mu}m,\;<110{\mu}m,\;to\;<120{\mu}m,\;>120{\mu}m,$. Oocytes were cultured in culture medium supplemented with $10\%\;FBS,\;0.4\%\;BSA,\;10\%$ porcine follicular fluid (pFF), $10\%$ canine serum (CS), or $10\%$ canine estrus serum (CES). The mean number of oocytes recovered from estrus status ovaries was significantly higher than that of anestrus status ovaries (p<0.01). The maturation rate of grade 1 oocytes $(>120{\mu}m)$ was significantly higher than that of the other groups (p<0.05). Nuclear maturation to MI to MII in diameter of $>110{\mu}m$ groups was significantly higher than that in $<100{\mu}m$ group (p<0.05). The oocytes cultured in $10\%$ FBS­supplemented group were significantly higher rate of GVBD compared to the other supplemented groups (p<0.05), and oocytes maturation to MI to MII in $10\%$ FBS-, $0.4\%$ BSA-, and $10\%$ pFF-supplemented groups were significantly higher than those in $10\%$ CS-supplemented group (p<0.05). Based on these results, the estrus status and the size of oocyte affect positively to improve nuclear maturation of canine immature oocytes in vitro. Among several protein sources, porcine follicular fluid was the most effective supplementation to culture medium to achieve higher in vitro maturation rate.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.145-153
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• 2009

Previously, we obtained the list of genes differentially expressed between GV and MII oocytes. Out of the list, we focused on functional analysis of Zap70 in the present study, because it has been known to be expressed only in immune cells. This is the first report about the expression and its function of Zap70 in the oocytes. Synthetic 475 bp Zap70 dsRNA was microinjected into the GV oocytes, and the oocytes were cultured in vitro. In addition to maturation rates, meiotic spindle and chromosome rearrangements, and changes in expression levels of transcripts of three kinases, Erk1/2, JNK, and p38, were determined. Zap70 is highly expressed in immature GV oocytes, and gradually decreased as oocyte matured. When dsRNA of Zap70 was injected into the GV oocytes, Zap70 mRNA specifically and completely decreased by 2 hr and its protein expression also decreased significantly. Absence of Zap70 resulted in maturation inhibition at meiosis I (57%) with abnormalities in meiotic spindle formation and chromosome rearrangement. Concurrently, mRNA expression of Erk2, JNK, and p38, were affected by Zap70 RNAi. Therefore, we concluded that Zap70 is involved in MI-MII transition by affecting expression of MAP kinases.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.149-158
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• 2022

Objective: Optimizing culture media for the incubation of immature oocytes is a vital strategy to increase the oocyte maturation rate during in vitro maturation (IVM) programs. This study evaluated the IVM and fertilization rates of human germinal vesicle (GV) and metaphase I (MI) oocytes using two different maturation media (commercial and homemade) with or without growth differentiation factor 9-β (GDF9-β). supplementation. Methods: Immature oocytes from intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles were collected and assigned to one of two IVM culture media (commercial or homemade; cleavage-stage base). After maturation, MII oocytes were examined under an inverted microscope for the presence of the polar body, zona pellucida (ZP) birefringence, and meiotic spindle (MS) visualization after maturation in four conditions (commercial or homemade medium, with or without GDF9-β. ICSI was done for matured oocytes, and fertilization was confirmed by the visualization of two distinct pronuclei and two polar bodies. Results: No significant differences were found between the two culture media in terms of the time and rate of oocyte maturation or the rate of fertilization (p>0.05). Growth factor supplementation increased the 24-hour maturation rate for both GV and MI oocytes only in homemade medium. The maturation rate after 24 hours was higher for MI oocytes (p<0.05). Similar results were observed for MS visualization and ZP structure in both types of media (p>0.05). Conclusion: Higher rates of oocyte maturation and fertilization were observed after application of homemade medium supplemented with GDF9-β. Therefore, this combination may be recommended as an alternative for clinical IVM programs.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.45-56
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• 1997

Befor fertilization, mammalian oocytes undergo meiotic maturation, which consists of nuclear and cytoplasmic differentiation. In this study, changes of $Ca^{2+}$ stores in mouse oocytes were examined during meiotic maturation and the role of $Ca^{2+}$ in the regulation of the maturation was investigated by using monoclonal antibodies against smooth endoplasmic reticulum $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase(SERCA-ATPase) and calreticulin. Observations were made under epifluorescence microscope and/or confocal laser scanning microscope. In immature oocytes which did not resume meiotic maturation, SERCA-ATPases were mostly localized in the vicinity of the germinal vesicle and calreticulins were distributed evenly throughout the cytoplasm. In mature oocytes, SERCA-ATPases were observed throughout the cytoplasm, butwere absent from the nuclear region. In contrast, calreticulins were localized mostl in the cortex of the oocyte and were absent from the cytoplasm. However, bright fluoresence stainings were wbserved in the perimeiotic spindle region of mature oocyte when labeled with antibodies against calreticulin. These results indicate that mouse oocytes undergo distinct rearrangement of the localization of $Ca^{2+}$-ATPases and calreticulins during meiotic maturation. Thus it can be suggested that redistribution of the $Ca^{2+}$ stores, as revealed by differential fluorescence stainings, is deeply involved in the regulatory mechanism of mammalian oocyte maturation.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.73-83
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• 1994

The objective of this study was to develop an effective in vitro production system capable of obtaining more porcine embryos from immature oocytes. These experiments were thus conducted to examine the effect of oocytes type and maturation time on the in vitro maturation(IVM) and fertilization(IVF) of oocytes and the in vitro development (IVD)of IVF embryos. 1. The degree of oocyte maturation based on cumulus expansion index(GEI) did not differ for A- and B-typed oocytes but the index of oocyte type C was lower(P<0.05) than that of other oocyte types. 2. When the oocytes of type A and B were matured for 36, 42 and 48hrs, the GEl was not different between the 36- and 42-h maturation but the GEl after 48hrs was greatly lower(P<0.05) than that of other maturation times. 3. The highest cleavage rate(48.6%) of IVF oocytes was obtained from A typed oocytes and 42-h maturation but the developmental potential based on cleavage index was the highest when B-typed oocytes were matured for 42hrs.