Growth, development, and gene expression by in vivo‐ and in vitro‐produced day 7 and 16 bovine embryos

Abstract

The effects of the embryo production system on growth and transcription rate of day 7 and 16 bovine embryos were investigated. In vivo- (controls) and in vitro-produced (IVP) embryos were transferred to female recipients on day 7 of development, and were allowed to develop in a synchronous uterine environment to day 16. Embryonic transcripts for insulin-like growth factors-1 and -2 (IGF-1 and -2), their receptors (IGF-1r and -2r), facilitative glucose transporters-1 and -3 (Glut-1 and -3), and interferon-tau (IFN-tau) were determined by real-time quantitative PCR (TaqMan); gender diagnosis was performed on day 16 concepti only. On day 7, IVP embryos presented lower mRNA levels than controls (P < 0.05), but these differences were generally reduced on day 16. No IGF-1 transcripts were detected on day 7, but a low IGF-1 mRNA level was observed in day 16 embryos. In the IVP group, IFN-tau mRNA levels were lower on day 7 (P < 0.05), but higher than controls on day 16 (P < 0.05). Control embryos showed a temporal decrease in the relative transcription from day 7 to 16 (P < 0.05), except IGF-1 mRNA. On day 16, IVP concepti were shorter and displayed smaller embryonic discs (P < 0.05). Female concepti were generally smaller than males, and IGF-2r mRNA and growth were negatively correlated. The in vitro production of bovine embryos negatively affected the amount of gene expression on day 7 and the rate of development on day 16. Physical traits and transcriptional activity on day 16 were associated with one another, which appeared to be significant for growth and development.

Developmental competence and expression pattern of bubaline (Bubalus bubalis) oocytes subjected to elevated temperatures during meiotic maturation in vitro

“…The present results were in agreement with the most recent study in buffalo embryos where no change was observed in mRNA expression of GDF9 genes when oocytes/embryos were exposed to physiologically relevant heat shock of 40.5°C for 2 h once every day throughout IVM, IVF and IVC. Also, Payton et al [52] did not find any significant difference in the relative abundance of BMP15 and GDF9 in germinal vesicle stage and matured oocytes on exposure to 41°C for first 12 h of in vitro maturation. However, the heat-induced perturbations occurring at molecular level during maturation are inherited by later stage embryos even after fertilization [53].…”

“…In bovine oocytes and embryos, glucose is the energy source and its uptake occurs through glucose transporters Glut1 (preimplantation periods) and Glut3 (post-compaction) [50][51][52]. In the present study, the relative mRNA abundance of Glut1, Glut3 and IGF1R decreased (p<0.05) in the buffalo oocytes matured at 40.5 and 41.5°C for two time periods (first 12 h or complete 24 h) compared to the oocytes matured at 38.5°C for 24 h (control).…”

Differential developmental competence and gene expression patterns in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) nuclear transfer embryos reconstructed with fetal fibroblasts and amnion mesenchymal stem cells

“…The cellular glucose incorporation into embryonic cells is mediated by GLUT1 and its expression has been detected during the entire pre-implantation period (Lequarre et al 1997;Bertolini et al 2002). There were significant differences in the expression of GLUT1 between the NT and IVF embryos.…”

Differences in developmental competence and gene expression profiles between buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) preimplantation embryos cultured in three different embryo culture media

“…Cellular glucose incorporation into embryonic cells is mediated by GLUT-1 and its expression has been detected during the entire preimplantation period (Lequarre et al 1997;Bertolini et al 2002). Studies in mouse show that for in vivo embryos GLUT-1 decreased 50 % in in vitro blastocysts (Morita et al 1992).…”