In vitro culture for bovine embryos is largely not optimal. Our study was to determine the components necessary for early embryo development. In experiment 1, IVF embryos were cultured for two days in CR1aa medium containing sodium citrate and BSA from two sources (Sigma vs. ICPbio), subsequently for additional five days with cumulus monolayer in 10% FBS CR1aa. We found that supplementation wit...

background: the ultrastructural analysis of cultured follicles could direct us to understand subcellular changes during in vitro culture. objective: this study was done to verify the ultrastructural characteristics of in vitro cultured mouse isolated preantral follicles in co-culture system in the presence and absence of leukemia inhibitory factor (lif) materials and methods: mechanically isola...

A typical mammalian egg is surrounded by an outer layer of about 3,000 cumulus cells embedded in an extracellular matrix rich in hyaluronic acid. A current, widely proposed model is that the fertilizing sperm, while it is acrosome intact, passes through the cumulus cell layer and binds to the egg zona pellucida. This current model lacks a well-supported explanation for how sperm penetrate the c...

Cumulus cells play an essential role during oocyte maturation and the acquisition of fertilizability and developmental competence. Micro(mi)RNAs can post-transcriptionally regulate mRNA expression, and we hypothesized that miRNA profiles in cumulus cells could serve as an indicator of oocyte quality. Cumulus cell biopsies from cumulus−oocyte−complexes that either yielded a blastocyst or failed ...

Fertilization of the mammalian oocyte requires interactions between spermatozoa and expanded cumulus extracellular matrix (ECM) that surrounds the oocyte. This review focuses on key molecules that play an important role in the formation of the cumulus ECM, generated by the oocyte-cumulus complex. In particular, the specific inhibitors (AG1478, lapatinib, indomethacin and MG132) and progesterone...

In the growing follicle, communication between the oocyte and its surrounding follicular cells is essential for normal oocyte and follicular development. Maturation of the fully grown oocyte in vivo is associated with the loss of cumulus cell-oocyte gap junctional communication, preventing entry of meiotic-modulating factors such as cAMP into the oocyte. We have previously shown that oocyte and...

BACKGROUND GJA1 and PTX3 were proposed as gene markers for oocyte and embryo developmental competence, while SERPINE2 was reported to be associated with pregnancy outcome. PRSS35, which is exclusively expressed in the ovary, may be correlated with oocyte competence. This study was conducted to evaluate the correlation of cumulus GJA1, PRSS35, PTX3, and SERPINE2 gene expression levels with oocyt...

Background: This study examined the effect of including one of two growth factors (100 ng/ml IGF-1 or 20 ng/ ml EGF) in combination with one of two antioxidants (50 μM cysteamine or 50 μM beta-mercaptoethanol) in invitro maturation of buffalo oocytes, followed by fertilization and subsequent development of embryos. Materials and Methods: The oocytes were recovered by in vivo ovum pick-up techni...

The structure and vibrational states of a prototype adsorbate-substrate system—carbon monoxide on the copper ~001! surface—have been calculated from first principles within local density functional theory. Three CO coverages have been examined: u50 ~bare surface!, 0.5, and 1. These systems are represented by a well converged slab model within which all atomic degrees of freedom are treated on a...