Asymmetrical allocation of mitochondrial DNA to blastomeres during the first two cleavages in mouse embryos
Yuichi Kameyama A C , Hidehisa Ohnishi A , Gaku Shimoi A , Ryoichi Hashizume A , Masao Ito A and Lawrence C. Smith B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Faculty of Bioindustry, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Abashiri, Hokkaido 099-2493, Japan.
B Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Animale, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec J2S7C6, Canada.
C Corresponding author. Email: y-kameya@bioindustry.nodai.ac.jp
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 22(8) 1247-1253 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD10076
Submitted: 13 April 2010 Accepted: 21 June 2010 Published: 1 October 2010
Abstract
A recent report showed higher oxygen consumption, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production and mitochondrial localisation in trophectoderm cells than in the inner cell mass of mouse blastocysts. We hypothesised that this phenomenon was due to the asymmetrical distribution of mitochondria in the blastomeres during the earlier stages. Oocytes, 2-cell embryos and 4-cell embryos were analysed to determine the volume, ATP content and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number in the whole egg and individual blastomeres. Significant differences were detected in the volumes of cytoplasm and ATP contents between blastomeres from the 2-cell and 4-cell embryos. Moreover, whilst remaining stable in whole embryos, mtDNA copy number differed between blastomeres, indicating that mitochondria in oocytes are unevenly delivered into the daughter blastomeres during the first two cleavages. Although their volume and ATP content were not correlated, there was a significant correlation between volume and mtDNA copy number in 2- and 4-cell blastomeres. These results indicate that the number of mitochondria delivered to blastomeres during early cleavage is not precisely equal, suggesting that the allocation of mitochondria into daughter blastomeres is affected by uneven cytoplasmic distribution during cytokinesis in the oocyte and mother blastomeres.
Additional keywords: ATP, early cleavage, mtDNA copy number.
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