Roles of cell surface carbohydrates containing the 3-fucosyl-N-acetyllactosamine and poly-N-acetyllactosamine sequences (SSEA-1 and I antigens, respectively) in the compaction of mouse embryos have been investigated using the endo-beta-galactosidase of Bacteroides fragilis to modify the surface of cleavage-stage embryos. Treatment with this enzyme abolished SSEA-1 activity and diminished I anti...

The pregnancy rate and implantation rate following blastocyst transfer in the human have been reported to be high; however, it has remained necessary to transfer 2-3 blastocysts to achieve these rates. Morphological criteria are currently used to select blastocysts for transfer and have some limited correlation with ongoing viability. Glucose metabolism of 189 human morula to blastocyst stage e...

Parthenogenesis and Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) techniques, offer a unique approach to manipulate the genetic composition of derived human embryonic stem cells - an essential step if the full opportunities for disease modeling, drug discovery or individualized stem cell therapy are to be realized. The present study describes the use of sheep oocytes to acquire expertise and establish m...

As a core member of polycomb repressive complex 2, the transcription and enzyme activity of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (Ezh2) is directly involved in the trimethylation of lysine 27 on histone H3. In this study, the fluorescence intensity of H3K27me3 in mouse in vivo morulae and blastocysts was compared by indirect immunofluorescence staining. We found that demethylation of H3K27me3 occurred d...

We examined the cytotoxic effects of dillapiole, a phenylpropanoid with antileishmanial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and acaricidal activities, on the blastocyst stage of mouse embryos, subsequent embryonic attachment and outgrowth in vitro, and in vivo implantation via embryo transfer. Blastocysts treated with 2.5-10 μM dillapiole exhibited a significant increase in apoptosis and correspond...

Many experiments indicate that oviducal mouse eggs are unable to form embryonic tissues following transplantation to extra-uterine sites; they give rise only to trophoblast and extra-embryonic membranes (Fawcett, Wislocki & Waldo, 1947; Fawcett, 1950; Chester-Jones, 1951; Whitten, 1958; Kirby, 1962; Billington, 1965). Possible rare exceptions exist in the reports by Runner (1947) and Stevens (1...

OBJECTIVE Under estrogen deficiency, blastocysts cannot initiate implantation and enter dormancy. Dormant blastocysts live longer in utero than normal blastocysts, and autophagy has been suggested as a mechanism underlying the sustained survival of dormant blastocysts during delayed implantation. Autophagy is a cellular degradation pathway and a central component of the integrated stress respon...