• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.117-120
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• 2005

This study was conducted to establish the optimal temperature condition before oocyte activation in B6m F1 mouse. In experiment 1, two embryo culture media (CZB vs KSOM) were evaluated for the development of activated mouse oocytes. Parthenogenetic embryos cultured in KSOM showed better blastocyst development than ones cultured in CZB $(56.2\%\;vs\;81.0\%\;p<0.01)$. Two-hour of pre-incubation before activation significantly reduced the number of hatched blastocysts in KSOM $(22.0\%\;versus\;8.8\%\;p<0.05)$. In experiment 2, recovered oocytes were pre-incubated at different temperature conditions before activation. The experimental groups were divided by 5 as follows. Group A: pre-incubation for 120 min at $37^{\circ}C$, Group B: pre-incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ for 90 min then at $25^{\circ}C$ for 30 min, Group C: pre-incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ for 60 min then at $25^{\circ}C$for 60 min, Group D: pre-incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ for 30 min then at $25^{\circ}C$ for 90 min, and Group E: pre-incubation at $25^{\circ}C$ for 120 min before activation. Group A $(67.6\%)$ and B $(66.7\%)$ showed better development to the blastocyst stage than other groups $(Group\;C:\;50.0\%\;Group \;D:\;49.2\%\;Group\;E:\;33.3\%,\;p<0.05)$. The present study indicates that the temperature before activation affects the development of B6D2 F1 mouse parthenogenetic oocytes and exposure to room temperature should be limited to 30-min when the oocytes are left in HEPES-buffered medium for micromanipulation.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.389-399
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• 2010

Fertilization is a complex process comprised of numerous steps. During fertilization, two highly specialized and differentiated cells (sperm and egg) fuse and subsequently trigger the development of an embryo from a quiescent, arrested oocyte. Molecular interactions between the sperm and egg are necessary for regulating the developmental potential of an oocyte, and precise coordination and regulation of gene expression and protein function are critical for proper embryonic development. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a valuable model system for identifying genes involved in fertilization and the oocyte-to-embryo transition as well as for understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern these processes. In this review, we will address current knowledge of the molecular underpinnings of gamete interactions during fertilization and the oocyte-to-embryo transition in C. elegans. We will also compare our knowledge of these processes in C. elegans to what is known about similar processes in mammalian, specifically mouse, model systems.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.239-250
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• 1996

The objective of the present experiments were to determine whether micromanipulative and electro-stimulation conditions for blastomere survival overlapped those for oocyte activation in porcine. Eggs selected for in vitro development potential of blastomeres isolated from 4-cell embryos and oocyte activation by electrostimulation were equilibrated for 5~10 min, in 0.3M sucrose solution containing 7.5$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml cytochalasin B, and then electrostimulated for 30$\mu$sec using one pulse of 100, 120, 150 or 180 volts DC with electrodes 0.2mm apart. Single blastomeres were inserted into empty zona pellucida prior to electrostimulaticn. Then they were cultured in 20${mu}ell$ drops of fresh BECM to observe their developmental ability in vitro in a humidified incubat or at 38.5$^{\circ}C$. The results obtained from these experiments are as follows : 1. When one pulse of 100, 120, 150 or 180 volts DC for 30$\mu$sec were applied to porcine oocytes having the slit formed on zona pellucida for activation, activation rates were 65.1, 66.7, 70.7 and 91.7%, respectively. Higher activation rate was observed in 180V. 2. Infact oocytes incubated for 30 min, in 0.3M sucrose solution after electrostimulation were significantally different from control group with increasing of voltages(p<0.05). When voltages used for electrostimulation were increased, activation rates of oocytes were improved in all treatment groups. 3. When zona punctured-oocytes were only electrostimulated, or incubated in 0.3M sucrose solution for 30 min. after electrostimulation at 180 volt DC, activation rates were 90.5 and 95.5%, respectively. And activation rates of zona punctured-oocytes were significantly different from the groups for which zona pellucida was not punctured(P<0.05). 4. When single blastomeres form 4-cell transferred into empty zona pellucida were incubated for 0, 15 and 30 min. in 0.3M sucrose solution after electrostimulation using one pulse of 180 volt DC for 30 $\mu$sec, developmental rates of electrostimulated-single blastomeres to blastocyst were 72.5, 59.0 and 51.2%, respectively, and the ratio of control group developed to blastocyst were 80.0%. 5. The average cell number in electrostimulated-blastomeres developed to blastocyst were 7.9~10.8, and reduced than the cell number in diploid control ; Also cell number decreased with increasing of voltages. The results of these experiments indicate that the optimal condition for achieving in vitro developmental ability of single 4-cell blastomeres and oocyte activatin is 1 pulse, duration 30 $\mu$sec. in 180 volt, and incubation of blastomeres and oocytes in 0.3M sucrose solution after electrostimulation was not significantally different from another treatment groups. The results also show that this condition is suitable for nuclear transplantation using porcine eggs.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.71-76
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• 2007

Previous studies have shown that BMI-1026 is a potent inhibitor of the cyclin-dependent kinases (cdk). In cell culture, the compound also arrests G2/M strongly and G1/S and S weakly. Two key kinases, cdk1 (p34cdc2 kinase) and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase (erk1 and 2), perform crucial roles during oocyte maturation and, later, metaphase II (MII) arrest. In mammalian oocytes, both kinases are activated gradually around the time of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and maintain high activity in eggs arrested at metaphase II. In this study, we examined the effects of BMI-1026 on GVBD and MII arrest in mouse oocytes. BMI-1026 inhibited GVBD of immature oocytes and activated MII-arrested oocytes in a concentration-dependent manner, with more than 90% of oocytes exhibiting GVBD inhibition and MII activation at 100 nM This is approximately 500$\sim$1,000 times more potent than the activity reported for the cdk inhibitors roscovitine (${\sim}50{\mu}M$) and butyrolactone (${\sim}100{\mu}M$). Based on the results of previous in vitro kinase assays, we expected BMI-1026 to inhibit only cdk1 activation in oocytes and eggs, not MAP kinase. However, in our cell-based system, it inhibited the activity of both kinases. We also found that the effect of BMI-1026 is reversible. Our results suggest that BMI-1026 inhibits GVBD and activates MII-arrested oocytes efficiently and reversibly and that it also inhibits both cdk1/histone HI kinase and MAP kinase in mouse oocytes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.124-124
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• 2003

The successful development of embryos cloned by nuclear transfer (NT)have been dependent on a wide range of known factors including cell cycle of donor and recipient ooplast, oocyte quality, NT procedure and oocyte activation. The present study compared the development of cloned porcine embryos following different activation treatments. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were aspirated from 26 mm follicles of slaughterhouse ovaries and cultured for 22 h in NCSU #23 medium supplemented with 10% porcine follicular fluid, 0.57 mM cysteine, 0.5 g/mL LH, 0.5 g/mL FSH and 10 ng/mL EGF. The COCs were further cultured for an additional 22 h in the same medium at $39{\cird}C$ in an atmosphere of 5% $CO_2$ in air, without hormonal supplements. Primary cultures of fibroblasts isolated from a female fetus on day 40 of gestation were established in DMEM + 15% FCS. For nuclear donation, cells at the 5th-6th passage were cultured in DMEM +0.5% FCS for 5 days in order to arrest the cells in G0/Gl. After enucleation, oocytes were reconstructed by transfer of donor cells and fusion with three DC pulses (1.4 KV/cm, 30 sec) in 0.28 M mannitol containing 0.01 mM $CaCl_2$ and 0.01 mM $MgCl_2$. Eggs were then divided into three treatment groups, control (without further treatment, Group 1), eggs cultured in 10 g/ml cycloheximide (CHX) for 5 h (Group 2), and eggs cultured in 1.9 mM 6-dimethylaminopurine (6-DMAP) for 5 h (Group 3). The eggs were then cultured in sets of 30 in 60 I drops of NCSU#23 supplemented with 4mg/ml BSA (essentially fatty acid free) until day 7 at $39{\circ}C$ in a humidified atmosphere of 5% $CO_2$. On day 4 the culture were fed by adding 20 I NCSU #23 supplemented with 10% FBS. Development rates into blastocysts were significantly higher (P<0.05) in Group 3 embryos compared to Group 1 controls ($27.6 \mu 2.7% vs. 20.1 \mu 4.1%$, respectively), but rates did not differ in Group 2 compared to control ($23.8 \mu 5.7%$). Total cell number in Group 3 blastocysts was however significantly higher (P<0.05) than in Groups 1 and 2 ($44.6 \mu 2.4 vs. 19.9 \mu 1.9 and 21.9 \mu 2.1$, respectively). These results suggest that 6-DMAP is more efficient than cycloheximide in the activation of electrically fused NT oocytes during in vitro production of cloned porcine embryos.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.193-203
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• 2012

The development of embryos reconstructed by nuclear transfer is dependent upon numerous factors including the type of recipient cell, method of enucleation, the type of donor cell, method of reconstruction, activation, the cell cycle stage of both the donor nucleus and the recipient cytoplasm and the method of culture of the reconstructed embryos. Many of these points which have been reviewed extensively elsewhere (Sun and Moor, 1995; Colman, 1999; Oback and Wells, 2002; Renard et al., 2002; Galli et al., 2003b), here we will concentrate on main area, the production of suitable cytoplast and nuclear donor, nuclear-cytoplasmic coordination, oocyte activation, culture of reconstructed embryos, and the effects that this may have on development.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.217-228
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• 1994

These experiments were carried out to establish the optimal condition of electrostimulatin inducing cell fusion and oocyte activation for nuclear transplantation in mouse embryos. Eggs selected for cell fusion or activation by electrostimulation were equilibrated for 5~10 min. in 0.3M sucrose solution and electrostimulated for 60$\mu$sec using 1 pulse of 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 volts DC with electrodes 0.2 mm apart. Then they were cultured in 20${mu}ell$ dropsof Tyrode's solution. The results of these experiments are as follows : 1. When one pulse of 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 volts DC for 60$\mu$sec were applied to 2-cell embryos for fusion of blastomeres, fusion rates were 50.0, 81.7, 91.7, 100 and 100%, respectively ; and developmental rates of fused embryos to blastocyst were 76.7 to 81.5%. Higher fusion rates were observed in 90V and 100V. 2. The average cell number in fused embryos developed to blastocyst was about half of the cell number in diploid controls; and the cell number decreased with increasing of voltages. 3. When pulse numbers were increased, fusion rates improved, but developmental rates were not signficiantly different from the group for which the number of pulse was not increased. And the cell number of blastocyst decreased even more. 4. Oocytes aged for 6hrs after ovulation were electrostimulated for oocyte activation by the same method used for cell fusion. Rates of oocyte activated by electrostimulation were 45.3 to 60.4%, and fragmentation rates were 7.5~15.1%. The lysis rates were 17.0~34.0%. The results of these experiments indicate that the optimal condition for achieving cell fusion and activation is 1 pulse, duration 60$\mu$sec in 90 Volt. The results also show that this condition is suitable for nuclear transplantation using mouse eggs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.617-620
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• 2004

The present study compares development of rabbit embryos generated using different oocyte activation protocols and reconstructed with embryonic or cumulus cells as nuclear donor. In vivo matured oocytes were collected from New Zealand White rabbits at 16 h after ovulation treatment and were activated at18 h of post-ovulation treatment. The following schemes of oocytes activation were tested: 1) single electric pulse (EP, 3.2 kV/cm, 3${\times}$20 $\mu$s, 0.3 M mannitol)+5 min culture in the presence of 5 mM Ionomycin, 2) single electric pulse (EP, 3.2 kV/cm, (${\times}$20 $\mu$s, 0.3 M mannitol)+1 h culture in the presence of 2 mM 6-DMAP, and 3) three electric pulses 30 min apart. Cleavage rate, percentage of expanded and hatched blastocysts as well as total cell number of blastomeres of parthenogenetic embryos were significantly higher using either EP+6-DMAP or 3${\times}$EP schemes, comparing with EP+Ionomycin. Development rate up to hatched blastocyst stage of cloned rabbit embryos using the EP+6-DMAP for activation of nuclei were 19% for embryonic cell nuclei and 36% for cumulus cell nuclei. The best activation protocol optimalized in this study was the combined treatment "P+6-DMAP" which may be potentially used for nuclear transfer protocol.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1996.04a
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• pp.49.1-49
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• 1996

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.62-62
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• 2003

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of activation agents on parthenogenetic activation of pig oocytes matured in vitro. The medium used for oocyte maturation was tissue culture medium (TCM) 199 supplemented with 26.19 mM sodium bicarbonate, 0.9 mM sodium pyruvate, 10 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml insulin, 2 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml vitamin $B_{l2}$, 25 mM Hepes, 10 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml bovine apotransferrin, 150 $\mu$M cysteamine, 10 IU/ml PMSG, 10 IU/ml hCG, 10 ng/ml EGF, 0.4% BSA, 75 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml sodium penicillin G, 50 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml streptomycin sulfate and 10% pFF. After about 22 h of culture, oocytes were cultured without cysteamine and hormones for 22 h at 38.5$^{\circ}C$, 5% $CO_2$ in air. Cumulus-free oocytes involving first polar body were activated by exposure to various concentrations of ethanol and exposure time of ethanol in Hepes-buffered NCSU23 medium. Also, oocytes were activated by electric pulse alone or combination with ethanol. For electrical activation, oocytes were rinsed twice in 0.3 M mannitol solution supplemented with 0.1 mM CaC1$_2$, 0.2 mM MgC1$_2$, 0.5 mM Hopes and 0.01% BSA, and transferred to a chamber consisting of two electrodes 1 mm apart which was overlaid with the same activation solution. Oocytes were activated with a single DC pulse of 1.3 ㎸/cm for 30 $\mu$sec. After activation treatments, oocytes were washed three times with Hepes-buffered NCSU23 medium and were washed twice with NCSU23 culture medium containing 0.4% BSA, and then cultured in 500 ${mu}ell$ of the same medium for 20 h at 38.5$^{\circ}C$, 5% $CO_2$ in air. The activation rates of oocytes were higher in 6, 7 and 8% ethanol concentrations compared with 0, 5, 9 and 10% ethanol concentrations. Significantly more oocytes (29.3~33.7%) were activated in the exposure for 8, 10, 12 and 15 min than those in the exposure for 0 and 5 min, but there was no difference due to exposure to 8% ethanol for 8 to 15 min. Electric pulse treatment followed by exposure to ethanol significantly improved the rate of oocyte activation (61.9%) compared with that of other 3 treatments. In conclusion, the optimal activation treatment of ethanol exposure alone for the in-vitro matured pig oocytes was 8% ethanol for 8 to 15 min. Electric pulse treatment followed by ethanol exposure significantly improved the rate of activation.n.