• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.789-793
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• 2012

Fertilization of the oocyte commences embryogenesis during which maternally inherited mRNAs are degraded and the embryonic genome is activated. Transcription of embryonic mRNA is initiated by embryonic genome activation (EGA). RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) is responsible for the synthesis of mRNAs and most small nuclear RNAs, and consists of 12 subunits, the largest of which characteristically harbors a unique C-terminal domain (CTD). Transcriptional activity of RNA Pol II is highly regulated, in particular, by phosphorylation of serine residues in the CTD. Here, we have shown the presence of RNA Pol II CTD phosphoisoforms in porcine oocytes and preimplantation embryos. The distribution pattern as well as phosphorylation dynamics in germinal vesicles and during embryogenesis differed in developmental stages with these isoforms, indicating a role of RNA Pol II CTD phosphorylation at the serine residue in transcriptional activation during both oocyte growth and embryonic genome activation. We additionally examined the effects of the RNA Pol II inhibitor, ${\alpha}$-amanitin, on embryo development. Our results show that inhibition of polymerase, even at very early stages and for a short period of time, dramatically impaired blastocyst formation. These findings collectively suggest that the functionality of maternal RNA Pol II, and consequently, expression of early genes regulated by this enzyme are essential for proper embryo development.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.171-175
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• 2006

The aim of this in vitro study was to test the effect of microinjection (Mi) of foreign gene into the rabbit egg pronucleus and epidermal growth factor (EGF) addition on the blastocyst rate, the cell number and the diameter of embryos, and to determine possible relationships between embryo cell number and embryo diameter. Blastocyst rate was significantly decreased in gene- Mi (G-Mi/E0) group (63.1%) comparing to intact ones (83.5%, $p_1$<0.05). The addition of EGF at 20ng/ml (G-Mi/E20) or 200 ng/ml (GMi/ E200) to gene-Mi embryos did not affect blastocyst rate (65.6 and 55.2% resp.). As a control for Mi, the eggs were microinjected with the same volume of phosphate-buffered solution (PBS-Mi) instead of the gene construct solution. Cell numbers and embryo diameters were measured from embryo images obtained on confocal laser scanning microscope. Bonferroni-modified LSD test showed that the embryo cell number in PBS-Mi group was significantly lower ($p_1$<0.05) and in gene-Mi group was tended to decrease compared with intact embryos. Embryo diameter was not different among experimental groups. No effect of EGF given at any doses both on the cell number and embryo diameter was found. A positive correlation between cell number and embryo diameter was observed in all groups of embryos. Since embryo diameter was not changed under the influence of Mi or EGF addition in this study, this seems to be more conservative characteristics of the embryo morphology. These results suggest that the pronuclear microinjection compromises developmental potential of embryos, decreasing blastocyst rate and embryo cell number, whilst embryo diameter is not affected. No effects of EGF on studied parameters were confirmed. Declined quality of Mi-derived embryos is caused by the microinjection procedure itself, rather than by the gene construct used.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1665-1672
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• 2008

Interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT) is a useful method to preserve endangered species and to study the reprogramming event of a nuclear donor cell by the oocyte. Although several studies of iSCNT using murine cells and bovine oocytes have been reported, the development of murine-bovine iSCNT embryos beyond the 8-cell stage has not been successful. In this paper, we examined the developmental potential of embryos reconstructed with a murine embryonic fibroblast as the nuclear donor and a bovine oocyte as the cytoplasm recipient. The reconstructed embryos were cultured in CZB (murine medium) or CR1aa (bovine medium). In addition, for the development of a murine-bovine iSCNT blastocyst, the antioxidant ${\beta}$-mercaptoethanol (${\beta}ME$) was supplemented to CR1aa medium. Furthermore, to verify the mouse genome activation in murine-bovine iSCNT embryos, RT-PCR analysis of murine Xist was performed. The development of the murine-bovine iSCNT embryos cultured in CR1aa was significantly higher than that in CZB (p<0.05). With respect to the effect of BME on the development of the murine-bovine iSCNT blastocyst, addition of BME produced a significant increase in blastocyst development (p<0.05). Karyotype analysis confirmed that the reconstructed embryos were derived from murine cells (40XX). The Xist gene was gradually increased from the 8-cell stage to the blastocyst stage. This is the first report of blastocyst development of iSCNT embryos derived from murine somatic cells and bovine oocytes. These results demonstrate that bovine cytoplasm can support the development of later stages of a preimplantation embryo from murine-bovine iSCNT.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.71-77
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• 2012

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of thymidine treatment during $in$ $vitro$ maturation (IVM) of porcine follicular oocytes on blastocyst development. Porcine oocytes were treated with thymidine (10 mM, 20 mM and 30 mM) for 2 or 6 hr in the preiods of IVM I and/or II. The survival rates of the blastocysts in the 6 hr treatment groups of 10 mM and 20 mM during IVM I period were significantly higher than those of control group ($p$<0.05). However, the survival rate of the blastocysts in the 2 hr treatment group of 20 mM during IVM II period was significantly higher than control group ($p$<0.05). Furthermore, the survival rate of the blastocysts in the 6 hr treatment group of 30 mM during IVM II period was significantly lower than control group ($p$<0.05). Consistent with the previous result, blastocyst development of both IVM I and II treatment group was also showed as similar pattern. Total and apoptotic cell numbers of blastocysts derived from thymidine treated porcine oocytes were examined by using Tunel assay. The results showed that there was no significant differences in total cell number of blastocysts between thymidine treated and untreated groups. However, apoptosis-positive cells in the thymidine treated group (6 hr IVM I) were significantly lower than those of other groups ($p$<0.05). Taken together, these results indicate that high quality oocytes were selected by DNA synthesis mechanism according to high concentration thymidine treatment during porcine oocyte maturation. Therefore, we concluded that presumptive selected oocytes by thymidine treatment during maturation periods improved the further embryo development and embryonic quality of IVF embryos by decreasing the incidence of apoptosis in preimplantation porcine embryos.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.259-262
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• 2010

Optimization of the preimplantation mammalian embryo culture condition was widely focused on refining medium composition under the name of chemically defined media. However, recent research revealed that the alteration of physical environment can be a crucial factor to a successful embryo development. In this study, under the same embryo density, a novel culture device named oil-free micro tube culture (MTC) system was evaluated using porcine parthenogenetic embryos. The activated oocytes were placed into the 0.2 ml thin-wall flat cap PCR tube and cultured to the blastocyst stage. As a preliminary step, embryo density and culture medium volume were optimized under a standard drop culture system. The optimal embryo density range for in vitro culture was 0.5 embryos per ${\mu}l$ in $20\;{\mu}l$ drop (20.5%) and 1.0 embryos per ${\mu}l$ in $10\;{\mu}l$ drop (20.6%). Based on these results, we compared drop culture system and 'MTC' system in terms of the developmental rate to the blastocyst stage. In $20\;{\mu}l$ medium volume, the 'MTC' system showed similar blastocyst formation rate when compared with drop culture system (20.2% versus 20.5%, respectively) while the 'MTC' system showed lower blastocyst formation rate than drop culture system in $10\;{\mu}l$ one (12.7% versus 20.0%, respectively). Therefore the $20\;{\mu}l$ MTC system may be an alternative incubation system for short-distance embryo transport without carrying the $CO_2$ incubator and this provides novel embryo culture device to clinical veterinary embryologists.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.341-349
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• 1996

초기배의 성판정은 대상가축의 성을 선발하는 수단으로써 뿐만아니라 인간의 유전적 질병의 조기진단법으로서 매우 가치가 크다. 체외수정 소 초기배의 성을 결정하기 위해 PCR과 PRINS를 이용하였으며 성판정에 이용된 8 세포${\sim)$배반포기 초기배는 체외수정후 난관상피세포와의 공배양에 의해 생산되었다. 초기배 의 DNA는 $200{\mu}g/ml$ proteinase K가 함유된 PCR lysis buffer에 하나의 초기배를 부유한 후 $50^{\circ}C$에서 1시간동안 처리하여 준비하였다. 중기 염색체 spreads는 초기배를 nocodazole로 처리한 후 air-drying 방법을 이용하여 준비하였다. 가능한 false positive signals을 배제하기 위해 소특이 및 Y 염색체 특이 primers를 이용하여 PCR을 수행한 결과, 웅성 초기배에서는 두 개의 증폭산물 (소특이 및 Y 염색체 특이)이 합성된 반면 자성 초기배에서는 하나의 증폭산물만 합성되었다. 한편 중기염색체상의 Y 염색체를 동정하기 위해 FISH와 PRINS를 수행한 결과, FISH에서보다 PRINS에서 더 강한 Y 염색체 특이 형광 signals이 탐지되었다. 이러한 결과는 PCR에 의한 체외생산 소 초기배의 신속정확하고 효율적인 성판정이 가능함을 보여주었다. 또한 PRINS를 통해 PCR 에 이용된 Y 특이 probe의 신뢰성이 염색체 수준에서 확인되었다.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.81-93
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• 1979

Metabolic changes of early mouse embryos treated with progesterone were investigated in order to elucidate the mode of action of progesterone on embryogenesis in vitro. The embryos were cultured, and labelled with radioactive precursors of macromolecules for certain periods in the absence or presence of various concentrations of progesterone by employing the microtube culture technique. The changes of transport and macromolecular synthesis systems of the embryos were examined by measuring the amounts of uptake and incorporation of the precursors. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Progesterone stimulated markedly the uptake of amino acids, but rather suppressed their incorporation by embryonic cells. 2. Progesterone suppressed both the uptake and incorporation of nucleotide precursors (uridine and thymidine) by embryonic cells. 3. Progesterone penetrated into the embryonic cell membranes and was taken up by them. The present results seem to indicate that the inhibition of the progesterone on the mammalian embryogenesis in vitro may not be directly related to the membrane transport system. They seem to imply that progesterone would penetrate into the embryonic cells and may directly block the biosynethetic pathways of macromolecules, and so lead to the inhibition of the embryogenesis in vitro.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.163-170
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• 1995

Growth factors (GFs) produced by the embryo or by the maternal reproductive tract have been reported to regulate the embryonic development and differentiation. Among GFs, EGF as a mitogen plays a role in mitosis and functional differentiation of trophectoderm cells in mouse. The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of EGF on development of mouse embryos and to localize EGF in the mouse oocytes and embryos, which has been reported to be detected in the reproductive tract in mammals. To investigate the effect of EGF on the development of the embryo, mouse 2-cell embryos were cultured to blastocysts stage in Ham's F10 medium, treated with EGF(10-50 ng/ml) for 72 hrs. Immunocytochemistry was performed from oocyte to blastocyst stage with anti-EGF and anti-Mouse IgG, in order to determine the stage which EGF would be expressed in mouse. Exogenous EGF (more than 10 ng/ml) in the culture medium improved the developmental and hatching rates in the mouse embryos. As a result of immunocytochemistry, the embryonic EGF was expressed after the late 4-cell stage. EGF is thought to enhance preimplantation embryonic development and hatching. Exogenous EGF in the culture medium is thought to activate EGF receptor in the late 4-cell embryos and to enhance blastulation and hatching in mouse embryos. It is concluded that EGF enhances the developmental and hatching rates in the mouse embryos.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.8
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• pp.558-566
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• 2017

Regular monitoring on experimental animal management found the fluctuation of ART outcome, which showed a necessity to explore whether superovulation treatment is responsible for such unexpected outcome. This study was subsequently conducted to examine whether superovulation treatment can preserve ultrastructural integrity and developmental competence of oocytes following oocyte activation and embryo culture. A randomized study using mouse model was designed and in vitro development (experiment 1), ultrastructural morphology (experiment 2) and functional integrity of the oocytes (experiment 3) retrieved after PMSG/hCG injection (superovulation group) or not (natural ovulation; control group) were evaluated. In experiment 1, more oocytes were retrieved following superovulation than following natural ovulation, but natural ovulation yielded higher (p < 0.0563) maturation rate than superovulation. The capacity of mature oocytes to form pronucleus and to develop into blastocysts in vitro was similar. In experiment 2, a notable (p < 0.0186) increase in mitochondrial deformity, characterized by the formation of vacuolated mitochondria, was detected in the superovulation group. Multivesicular body formation was also increased, whereas early endosome formation was significantly decreased. No obvious changes in other microorganelles, however, were detected, which included the formation and distribution of mitochondria, cortical granules, microvilli, and smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum. In experiment 3, significant decreases in mitochondrial activity, ATP production and dextran uptake were detected in the superovulation group. In conclusion, superovulation treatment may change both maturational status and functional and ultrastuctural integrity of oocytes. Superovulation effect on preimplantation development can be discussed.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.225-228
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• 2015

Understanding the behavior of transgenes introduced into oocyte or embryos is essential for evaluating the methodologies for transgenic animal production. To date, many studies have reported the production of transgenic pig embryos with, however, low efficiency in environment of blastocyst production. The aim of present study was to determine the expression and duration of transgene transferred by intracytoplasmic sperm injection-mediated gene transfer (ICSI-MGT). Embryos obtained from the ICSI-MGT procedure were analysed for the expression of GFP and then for the transmission of the transgene. Briefly, fresh spermatozoa were bound to exogenous DNA after treatment by Triton X-100 and Lipofectin. When ICSI-MGT was performed using sperm heads with tails removed, the yield of blastocyst (25.3%), treated with Lipofectin (18.8%) and Triton X-100 (19.2%) were observed. Treatments of Lipofectin or Triton X-100 did not further improve the rates of blastocysts. Moreover, the apoptosis rates of embryos were obtained from the control and LIpofectin groups (8.7%, 9.7%, respectively), but were significantly higher in the Triton X-100 group (13.0%). Our results demonstrated that ICSI-MGT caused minimal damage to oocytes that could develop to full term. Moreover, the embryos derived by ICSI-MGT have shown prolonged exogenous DNA expression during preimplantation stage in vivo. However, more efforts will be required to improve the procedures of both sperm treatments cause of high frequency of mosaicisms.