• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.70-78
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• 2016

Microalgae are of significant importance for future biotechnological applications. Many microalgae banks or laboratories attempt to maintain various microalgae for further research purposes. Cryopreservation has been preferred to reduce a labor-intensive and costly routine sub-culturing. Cryopreservation can also diminish the genetic drift risk. However, cryopreservation as a long term storage of microalgae method are still in developing progress because it cannot be generalized for all microalgae. Microalgae types, cryoprotectant agents (CPAs) types, freezing and thawing methods are the most important factors that should be considered for cryopreservation. In this short review the basic principles and the current advanced of microalgae cryopreservation methods are discussed with a suggested starting parameters for microalgae cryopreservation.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.239-243
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• 2001

Selection of oocyte cryopreservation method is a prerequisite factor for developing an effective bank system. Compared with slow freezing method, the vitrification has various advantages such as avoiding intracellular ice crustal formation. In our previous, we attempted to employ a vitrification method using ethylene glycol and an electron microscope grid for cryopreservation of mouse oocytes. However, A high incidence of spindle and chromosome abnormalities was detected in thawed oocytes after vitrification. We examined whether the addition of a cystoskeleton stabilizer Taxol $^{TM}$, to the vitrification solution could promote the post-thawed survival and subsequent development of stored oocytes. More oocytes developed to the 4-cell (44.7% vs. 69.7%), 8-cell (31.8% vs. 64.2%), morula (24.7% vs. 54.3%), and blastocyst (20.3% vs. 49.2%) stages after the addition of Taxol$^{TM}$ to the cryoprotectant than after no addition. 21 and 26 mouse pups were born after transfer of blastocyst derived from oocytes vitrified without and with Taxol. The addition of Taxol to vitrification solution greatly promoted post-thaw preimplantation development of ICR morose oocytes.tes.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.75-84
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• 2018

The cryopreservation has been extensively applied in many cells including spermatozoa (semen) during past several decades. Especially, the canine spermatozoa cryopreservation has contributed on generation of progeny of rare/genetically valuable dog breeds, genome resource banking and transportation of male germplasm at a distant place. However, severe and irreversible damages to the spermatozoa during cryopreservation procedures such as the thermal shock (cold shock), formation of intracellular ice crystals, osmotic shock, stress of cryoprotectants and generator of reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been addressed. According as a number of researches have been conducted to overcome these problems and to advance cryopreservation technique, several analytical methods have been employed to evaluate the quality of the fresh or cryopreserved canine spermatozoa in regards to the motility, morphology, integrity of membrane and DNA, mitochondrial activity, ROS generation, binding affinity to oocytes, in vitro fertilization potential and fertility potential by artificial insemination. Because the study designs with certain application of analytical methods are selective and varied depending on each experimental objective and laboratory condition, it is necessary to establish the normal reference data of the fresh or cryopreserved canine spermatozoa for each analytical method to monitor experimental procedure, to translate raw data and to discuss results. Here, we reviewed the recent articles to introduce various analytical methods for the canine spermatozoa as well as to establish the normal reference data for each analytical method in the fresh or cryopreserved canine spermatozoa, based on the results of the previous articles. We hope that this review contributes to the advancement of cryobiology in canine spermatozoa.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 2002

Cryopreservation is commonly used for an efficient utilization of semen, oocytes and embryos but has disadvantage in the survival, development of the post-thawed eggs. The high risk in the survival, development of eggs after thawing is thought to be caused by inappropriate internal regulation of $Ca^{2+}$ and/or formation of intracellular ice crystals. In this experiment, we tested whether the $Ca^{2+}$ current (iCa), a decisive factor to $Ca^{2+}$ entry, was altered in post-thawed oocytes by using whole cell voltage clamp technique. The quality and survival rates of the oocytes derived from both fresh and frozen groups were examined by morphology and FDA-test. Vitrified oocytes (VOs) were incubated for 4 hr after thawing and then donated to this experiment. Ethyleneglycol-ficoll-galactose (EFG) was used as a cryoprotectant for vitrification. The membrane potential was held at -80 mV and step depolarizations of 250 ms were applied from -50 mV to 50 mV in 10 mV increments. The survival rates showed a higher in VOs vitrified with EFG containing $Ca^{2+}$ than in VOs vitrified with EFG under the $Ca^{2+}$-free condition (82.0% vs 14%). In group with/without $Ca^{2+}$, the survival rates were significantly (P<0.01) difference. In the fresh metaphase II oocytes (FOs), current-voltage (I-V) relationship showed that iCa began to activate at -40 mV and reached its maximum at -10 mV. With same voltage pulses, inward currents were elicited in VOs. I-V relationships observed in VOs were similar to those in FOs. Time constants of activation and inactivation of the inward current shown in VOs were not different to those in FOs. This accordance in I-V relations and time constants in FOs with those in VOs indicates that the inward currents in FOs are unaltered by vitrification and thawing. Therefore, vitrification with EFG does not play as a factor to deteriorate $Ca^{2+}$ entry across the membrane of the oocytes.