Mitochondrial DNA replication is initiated at blastocyst formation in equine embryos
W. Karin Hendriks
A G , Silvia Colleoni B , Cesare Galli B C , Damien B. B. P. Paris D , Ben Colenbrander A and Tom A. E. Stout A E F H
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 114, 3584 CM Utrecht, Netherlands.
B Avantea, Laboratorio di Technologie della Riproduzione, Via Porcellasco 7f, 26100 Cremona, Italy.
C Fondazione Avantea, Via Porcellasco 7f, 26100 Cremona, Italy.
D Discipline of Biomedical Science, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Solander Drive, Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia.
E Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 104, 3584 CM Utrecht, Netherlands.
F Section of Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag XO4, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa.
G Present address: Hendriks EQ Repro Consultancy, Zutphensestraatweg 32, 6955 AH Ellecom, Netherlands.
H Corresponding author. Email: t.a.e.stout@uu.nl
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 31(3) 570-578 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD17387
Submitted: 24 September 2017 Accepted: 13 September 2018 Published: 14 November 2018
Abstract
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is the technique of choice for equine IVF and, in a research setting, 18–36% of injected oocytes develop to blastocysts. However, blastocyst development in clinical programs is lower, presumably due to a combination of variable oocyte quality (e.g. from old mares), suboptimal culture conditions and marginal fertility of some stallions. Furthermore, mitochondrial constitution appears to be critical to developmental competence, and both maternal aging and in vitro embryo production (IVEP) negatively affect mitochondrial number and function in murine and bovine embryos. The present study examined the onset of mitochondrial (mt) DNA replication in equine embryos and investigated whether IVEP affects the timing of this important event, or the expression of genes required for mtDNA replication (i.e. mitochondrial transcription factor (TFAM), mtDNA polymerase γ subunit B (mtPOLB) and single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB)). We also investigated whether developmental arrest was associated with low mtDNA copy number. mtDNA copy number increased (P < 0.01) between the early and expanded blastocyst stages both in vivo and in vitro, whereas the mtDNA : total DNA ratio was higher in in vitro-produced embryos (P = 0.041). Mitochondrial replication was preceded by an increase in TFAM but, unexpectedly, not mtPOLB or SSB expression. There was no association between embryonic arrest and lower mtDNA copy numbers.
Additional keywords: embryo development, gene expression, horse, IVF, oocyte.
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