Advances in Animal In Vitro Fertilization

Intact cell MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, a promising proteomic profiling method in farm animal clinical and reproduction research

“…Today, it is possible to initiate early embryonic development of just about any mammalian species by co-incubating oocyte with spermatozoa following a protocol known as in vitro fertilization (IVF). The original process includes the administration of high levels of gonadotropins to stimulate oocyte maturation and ovulation [69]. Oocyte maturation is a transition from immature germinal vesicle (GV) transcriptionally silenced oocyte to metaphase-II stage (Meta-II) which is accompanied by polar body extrusion, reorganization of the organelles through the ooplasm and molecular modifications including changes in protein abundance and post-translational modifications.…”

Advances in Animal Biotechnology

“…Research on the possibilities of animal IVF began in the late 1800s, whereas the first attempts at animal IVF began in the early 1930s (Bavister, 2002). This led to the first mammalian IVF birth, a rabbit born in 1959 (Brackett, 2001). In 1951 the discovery of sperm capacitation by researchers Austin and Chang explained why those initial experiments failed: Spermatozoa need to develop and undergo changes in the female reproductive tract before fertilization can occur (Bavister, 2002).…”