Could embryonic diapause facilitate conservation of endangered species?

Wauters, Jella; Jewgenow, Katarina; Göritz, Frank; Hildebrandt, T.B.

doi:10.1530/biosciprocs.10.005

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Under culture conditions tailored to species-specific requirements, diapause could be induced and maintained for longer periods ex vivo. Artificial reproductive technology would greatly benefit from such progress, especially in wildlife and captive-bred species for which cryopreservation is either not adaptable or compromises embryo fitness (Wauters et al, 2020). Prolonged blastocyst maintenance would also extent the time window for genetic selection or manipulation of embryos.…”

Section: Why Is It Important To Understand the Regulation Of Diapause?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Regulation of Paused Pluripotency in Early Mammalian Embryos and Stem Cells

Weijden

Bulut-Karslıoğlu

2021

Front. Cell Dev. Biol.

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The energetically costly mammalian investment in gestation and lactation requires plentiful nutritional sources and thus links the environmental conditions to reproductive success. Flexibility in adjusting developmental timing enhances chances of survival in adverse conditions. Over 130 mammalian species can reversibly pause early embryonic development by switching to a near dormant state that can be sustained for months, a phenomenon called embryonic diapause. Lineage-specific cells are retained during diapause, and they proliferate and differentiate upon activation. Studying diapause thus reveals principles of pluripotency and dormancy and is not only relevant for development, but also for regeneration and cancer. In this review, we focus on the molecular regulation of diapause in early mammalian embryos and relate it to maintenance of potency in stem cells in vitro. Diapause is established and maintained by active rewiring of the embryonic metabolome, epigenome, and gene expression in communication with maternal tissues. Herein, we particularly discuss factors required at distinct stages of diapause to induce, maintain, and terminate dormancy.

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Section: Why Is It Important To Understand the Regulation Of Diapause?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Regulation of Paused Pluripotency in Early Mammalian Embryos and Stem Cells

Weijden

Bulut-Karslıoğlu

2021

Front. Cell Dev. Biol.

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“…Embryo and gametes cryopreservation of rare and endangered species is important for maintaining their biodiversity (Amstislavsky et al., 2012; Holt & Comizzoli, 2021). The possibility of cryopreservation for diapausing mammalian embryos is important for applying the genome resource banking (GRB) concept for the mammalian species that exhibit obligate diapause during early embryo development (Wauters et al., 2020). Diapausing embryos in the mouse, as well as in the other studied mammalian species that possess embryo diapause in their early development, are characterized by the large size as the volume of the blastocoel increases during the period of implantation delay (Amstislavsky et al., 2020; Kamemizu & Fujimori, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of cryopreservation on Odc1 and RhoA genes expression in diapausing mouse blastocysts

Amstislavsky,

Brusentsev,

Lebedeva

et al. 2024

Reprod Domestic Animals

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The possibility of embryo cryopreservation is important for applying the genome resource banking (GRB) concept to those mammalian species that exhibit embryonal diapause in their early development. Odc1 encodes ODC1, which is a key enzyme in polyamine synthesis. RhoA is an essential part of Rho/ROCK system. Both Odc1 and RhoA play an important role in preimplantation embryo development. Studying these systems in mammalian species with obligate or experimentally designed embryonic diapause may provide insight into the molecular machinery underlying embryo dormancy and re‐activation. The effect of cryopreservation procedures on the expression of the Odc1 and RhoA in diapausing embryos has not been properly studied yet. The purpose of this work is to address the possibility of cryopreservation diapausing embryos and to estimate the expression of the Odc1 and RhoA genes in diapausing and non‐diapausing embryos before and after freeze–thaw procedures using ovariectomized progesterone treated mice as a model. Both diapausing and non‐diapausing in vivo‐derived embryos continued their development in vitro after freezing–thawing as evidenced by blastocoel re‐expansion. Although cryopreservation dramatically decreased the expression of the Odc1 and RhoA genes in non‐diapausing embryos, no such effects have been observed in diapausing embryos where these genes were already at the low level before freeze–thaw procedures. Future studies may attempt to facilitate the re‐activation of diapausing embryos, for example frozen–thawed ones, specifically targeting Odc1 or Rho/ROCK system.

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“…Mammals can adjust gestation length by either delaying implantation of the blastocyst or by delaying the post-implantation development of the embryo [3,10]. Delayed implantation occurs in nine mammalian orders (Diptrotodontia, Dasyuromorphia, Eulipotyphyta, Cingulata, Carnivora, Rodentia, Chiroptera, Lagomorpha and Cetartiodactyla) and allows mating when both the male and female are in peak physical condition [3,10]. It has been shown to be dependent on maternal [11], environmental [12] and social [13] factors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dispersal-induced social stress prolongs gestation in wild meerkats

Maag,

Cozzi,

Seager

et al. 2023

Biol. Lett.

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In the majority of mammals, gestation length is relatively consistent and seldom varies by more than 3%. In a few species, females can adjust gestation length by delaying the development of the embryo after implantation. Delays in embryonic development allow females to defer the rising energetic costs of gestation when conditions are unfavourable, reducing the risk of embryo loss. Dispersal in mammals that breed cooperatively is a period when food intake is likely to be suppressed and stress levels are likely to be high. Here, we show that pregnant dispersing meerkats ( Suricata suricatta ), which have been aggressively evicted from their natal group and experience weight loss and extended periods of social stress, prolong their gestation by means of delayed embryonic development. Repeated ultrasound scans of wild, unanaesthetized females throughout their pregnancies showed that pregnancies of dispersers were on average 6.3% longer and more variable in length (52–65 days) than those of residents (54–56 days). The variation in dispersers shows that, unlike most mammals, meerkats can adapt to stress by adjusting their pregnancy length by up to 25%. By doing so, they potentially rearrange the costs of gestation during adverse conditions of dispersal and enhance offspring survival.

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Could embryonic diapause facilitate conservation of endangered species?

Cited by 3 publications

References 37 publications

Molecular Regulation of Paused Pluripotency in Early Mammalian Embryos and Stem Cells

Molecular Regulation of Paused Pluripotency in Early Mammalian Embryos and Stem Cells

Effect of cryopreservation on Odc1 and RhoA genes expression in diapausing mouse blastocysts

Dispersal-induced social stress prolongs gestation in wild meerkats

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