Anti-apoptotic regulation contributes successful nuclear reprogramming using cryopreserved oocytes
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: The cryopreservation has a negative effect on the quality of oocytes and may be closely associated with increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptotic events. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the detrimental effects on the developmental competence of somatic cell nuclear transferred (SCNT)- mouse embryos using vitrified (cryopreserved) oocytes and to evaluate the recovery effects of melatonin on cryo-damage in cloned embryos. Development of SCNT embryos using cryopreserved oocyte cytoplasm (SCNT-CROC) was inferior to those using fresh cytoplasm (SCNT-FOC). Using RNA-sequencing analysis, we found upregulation of 8 pro-apoptotic-related genes (Cyct, Dapk2, Dffb, Gadd45g, Hint2, Mien1, P2rx7, and Pmaip) in the SCNT-CROC group. Furthermore, the addition of melatonin, an agent that reduces apoptosis and ROS production, enhanced blastocyst formation rates in the SCNT-CROP group when compared with the melatonin-untreated group. Additionally, melatonin-treatment increased the derivation efficiency of pluripotent stem cells from cloned embryos using cryopreserved oocyte.
Project description:Mature oocyte cytoplasm can reprogram somatic cell nuclei to the pluripotent state through a series of sequential events including protein exchange between the donor nucleus and ooplasm, chromatin remodeling, and pluripotency gene reactivation. Maternal factors that are responsible for this reprogramming process remain largely unidentified. Here, we demonstrate that knockdown of histone variant H3.3 in mouse oocytes results in compromised reprogramming and down-regulation of key pluripotency genes; and this compromised reprogramming both for developmental potentials and transcription of pluripotency genes can be rescued by injecting exogenous H3.3 mRNA, but not H3.2 mRNA into oocytes in somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos. We show that maternal H3.3, and not H3.3 in the donor nucleus, is essential for successful reprogramming of somatic cell nucleus into the pluripotent state. Furthermore, H3.3 is involved in this reprogramming process by remodeling the donor nuclear chromatin through replacement of donor nucleus-derived H3 with de novo synthesized maternal H3.3 protein. Our study shows that H3.3 is a crucial maternal factor for oocyte reprogramming and provides a practical model to directly dissect the oocyte for its reprogramming capacity. Transcriptome sequencing of 4-cell NT embryos, Luciferase 4-cell SCNT embryos, 4-cell NT embryos_H3.3KD, 4-cell NT embryos_H3.3KD+H3.3mRNA, H3.3 KD + H3.2 mRNA SCNT embryos
Project description:Oocyte quality, which is directly related to reprogramming competence, is a major important limiting factor in animal cloning efficiency. Compared with oocytes matured in vivo, in vitro matured (IVM) oocytes exhibit lower oocyte quality and reprogramming competence primarily because of their higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we investigate whether supplementing the oocyte maturation medium with melatonin, a free radical scavenger, could improve oocyte quality and reprogramming competence. We found that 10−9 M melatonin effectively alleviated oxidative stress, markedly decreased early apoptosis levels, recovered the integrity of mitochondria, ameliorated the spindle assembly and chromosome alignment in oocytes, and significantly promoted subsequent cloned embryo development in vitro. We also analyzed the effects of melatonin on epigenetic modifications in bovine oocytes. Melatonin increased the global H3K9 acetylation levels, reduced the H3K9 methylation levels, and minimally affected DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation. Genome-wide expression analysis of genes affected by melatonin during oocyte maturation was conducted by high-throughput scRNA sequencing. We found that several important genes altered by melatonin were involved in oocyte stress defense. These genes included GSTP1, mitochondrial DNA polymerase POLG, mitochondrial ATP synthase ATP5E, centriole-enriched gene CEP295, spindle assembly-related gene TCTP, cytoprotection, and anti-apoptosis-related gene HSP27. Our results indicated critical roles of melatonin during bovine oocyte maturation and development.
Project description:Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) into an enucleated oocyte can reprogram a differentiated nucleus to a totipotent state. However, the time course of transcriptional reprogramming has not been determined. To monitor the inactivation of somatic genes after SCNT in the bovine model system, we determined transcript levels of 159 genes highly expressed in fetal fibroblast nuclear donor cells, but not in metaphase II recipient oocytes. For 18 of these genes significantly higher transcript levels were found in four-cell SCNT embryos compared with four-cell embryos derived by in vitro fertilization (IVF), indicating incomplete silencing of somatic genes at this stage. RNA sequencing revealed that nearly 600 genes with no transcripts in oocytes were activated in eight-cell IVF embryos, in agreement with major embryonic genome activation (EGA). De novo transcription in SCNT embryos was delayed (16 genes before the 16-cell stage, 300 and >800 genes at the 16-cell and blastocyst stages). Intron-containing primary transcripts as another option to detect embryonic gene transcription revealed activation of >2,200 genes in IVF embryos at the eight-cell stage, while only 828 genes were activated in SCNT embryos. At the 16-cell stage, a higher number of activated genes was found in SCNT (1,917) than in IVF embryos (738). Self-organizing tree algorithm clustering confirmed that in SCNT embryos transcription of genes that are normally activated during major EGA is delayed. Our study provides detailed insight into the timing of genome activation in cloned embryos that is substantially different from IVF embryos in spite of similar developmental kinetics.
Project description:Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) into an enucleated oocyte can reprogram a differentiated nucleus to a totipotent state. However, the time course of transcriptional reprogramming has not been determined. To monitor the inactivation of somatic genes after SCNT in the bovine model system, we determined transcript levels of 159 genes highly expressed in fetal fibroblast nuclear donor cells, but not in metaphase II recipient oocytes. For 18 of these genes significantly higher transcript levels were found in four-cell SCNT embryos compared with four-cell embryos derived by in vitro fertilization (IVF), indicating incomplete silencing of somatic genes at this stage. RNA sequencing revealed that nearly 600 genes with no transcripts in oocytes were activated in eight-cell IVF embryos, in agreement with major embryonic genome activation (EGA). De novo transcription in SCNT embryos was delayed (16 genes before the 16-cell stage, 300 and >800 genes at the 16-cell and blastocyst stages). Intron-containing primary transcripts as another option to detect embryonic gene transcription revealed activation of >2,200 genes in IVF embryos at the eight-cell stage, while only 828 genes were activated in SCNT embryos. At the 16-cell stage, a higher number of activated genes was found in SCNT (1,917) than in IVF embryos (738). Self-organizing tree algorithm clustering confirmed that in SCNT embryos transcription of genes that are normally activated during major EGA is delayed. Our study provides detailed insight into the timing of genome activation in cloned embryos that is substantially different from IVF embryos in spite of similar developmental kinetics.
Project description:Cloning mammals by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is highly inefficient. Most SCNT-generated embryos die after implantation because of unidentified, complex epigenetic errors in the process of postimplantation embryonic development. Here, we identified the most upstream level of dysfunction leading to impaired development of clones by using RNA interference (RNAi) against Xist, a gene responsible for X chromosome inactivation (XCI). A prior injection of Xist-specific short interfering (si)RNA into reconstructed oocytes efficiently corrected the SCNT-specific aberrant Xist expression at the morula stage, but failed to do so thereafter at the blastocyst stage. However, we found that shortly after implantation this aberrant XCI status in cloned embryos had been corrected autonomously in both embryonic and extraembryonic tissues, probably through a newly established XCI control for postimplantation embryos. Embryo transfer experiments revealed that the siRNA-treated embryos showed 10 times higher survival than controls as early as embryonic day 5.5 and this high survival persisted until term, resulting in a remarkable improvement in cloning efficiency (12% vs. 1% in controls). Importantly, unlike control clones, these Xist-siRNA clones at birth showed only a limited dysregulation of their gene expression, indicating that correction of Xist expression in preimplantation embryos had a long-term effect on their postnatal normality. Thus, contrary to the general assumption, our results suggest that the fate of cloned embryos is determined almost exclusively before implantation by their XCI status. Furthermore, our strategy provides a promising breakthrough for mammalian SCNT cloning because RNAi treatment of oocytes is readily applicable to most mammal species. Gene expression were measured in mouse in vitro fertilized and somatic cell cloned embryos. Four biological replicates were performed in each group of Xist- or Control-siRNA.
Project description:Transcriptiome analysis is an excellent approach to understand the mechanism underlying nuclear reprogramming in somatic-cell-cloned embryos. Analysis of the transcriptomic data from the oocyte to blastocyst stage revealed that specific genes were inappropriately reprogrammed at each stage. Sertoli cell-cloned embryos appear to develop normally because the progression of incorrect reprogramming is concealed throughout development. The time-lapse gene expression profiles provide valuable information for understanding reprogramming in SCNT embryos.
Project description:Study question: Does storage time impact on transcriptome of slowly frozen cryopreserved human metaphase II (MII) oocytes? Summary answer: For the first time, we demonstrate that the length of cryostorage has no effect on the gene expression profile of human metaphase II oocytes. What is known already: Oocyte cryopreservation is a largely-used technique in IVF for storage of surplus oocytes, as well as for fertility preservation (i.e., women undergoing gonadotoxic therapies) and oocyte donation programs. Although it is known that cryopreservation negatively impacts on oocyte physiology and it is associated with decrease of transcripts, no experimental data about the effect of storage time on the oocyte molecular profile are available to date. Study design, size, duration: This study included 27 women undergoing IVF treatment, < 38 years aged, without any ovarian pathology. Surplus MII oocytes were donated after written informed consent. A total of 31 non-cryopreserved oocytes and 68 surviving slow-frozen/rapid-thawed oocytes (32 oocytes cryostored for 3 years and 36 cryostored for 6 years) were analyzed. Participants/materials, setting, methods: Pools of ?10 oocytes for each group were prepared. Total RNA was extracted from each pool, amplified, labeled and hybridized on 4x44K v2 microarrays (Agilent). Analyses were performed by R v3.1.3 software using the limma package v3.22.7. Main results and the role of chance: Comparison of gene expression profiles between surviving thawed oocytes after 3 and 6 years of storage in liquid nitrogen found no differently expressed genes. The expression profiles of cryopreserved MII oocytes significantly differed from those of non-cryopreserved oocytes in 107 probe sets corresponding to 73 down-regulated and 29 up-regulated unique transcripts. Gene Ontology analysis by DAVID bioinformatics resource disclosed that cryopreservation deregulates genes involved in oocyte function and early embryo development, such as chromosome organization, RNA splicing and processing, cell cycle process, response to DNA damage stimulus, cellular response to stress and DNA repair, calcium ion binding, malate dehydrogenase activity, mitochondrial membrane respiratory chain. Among the probes significantly up-regulated in cryopreserved oocytes, 2 corresponded to ovary-specific expressed large intergenic noncoding (linc)RNAs. This study included 27 women undergoing IVF treatment, < 38 years aged, without any ovarian pathology. Surplus MII oocytes were donated after written informed consent. A total of 31 non-cryopreserved oocytes and 68 surviving slow-frozen/rapid-thawed oocytes (32 oocytes cryostored for 3 years and 36 cryostored for 6 years) were analyzed.
Project description:Transcriptiome analysis is an excellent approach to understand the mechanism underlying nuclear reprogramming in somatic-cell-cloned embryos. Analysis of the transcriptomic data from the oocyte to blastocyst stage revealed that specific genes were inappropriately reprogrammed at each stage. Sertoli cell-cloned embryos appear to develop normally because the progression of incorrect reprogramming is concealed throughout development. The time-lapse gene expression profiles provide valuable information for understanding reprogramming in SCNT embryos. Single mouse oocyte (MII metaphase), in vitro fertilized embryo (replicates = 3 / each stage) and Sertoli cell cloned embryo (replicates = 5 / each stage) from 1-cell stage to blastocyst stage (16, 32, 48, 62, 72, 84 hours after sperm addition or activation) was used for total RNA extraction. Totally 51 Affymetrix microarrays were used in the experiment.
Project description:Cloning mammals by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is highly inefficient. Most SCNT-generated embryos die after implantation because of unidentified, complex epigenetic errors in the process of postimplantation embryonic development. Here, we identified the most upstream level of dysfunction leading to impaired development of clones by using RNA interference (RNAi) against Xist, a gene responsible for X chromosome inactivation (XCI). A prior injection of Xist-specific short interfering (si)RNA into reconstructed oocytes efficiently corrected the SCNT-specific aberrant Xist expression at the morula stage, but failed to do so thereafter at the blastocyst stage. However, we found that shortly after implantation this aberrant XCI status in cloned embryos had been corrected autonomously in both embryonic and extraembryonic tissues, probably through a newly established XCI control for postimplantation embryos. Embryo transfer experiments revealed that the siRNA-treated embryos showed 10 times higher survival than controls as early as embryonic day 5.5 and this high survival persisted until term, resulting in a remarkable improvement in cloning efficiency (12% vs. 1% in controls). Importantly, unlike control clones, these Xist-siRNA clones at birth showed only a limited dysregulation of their gene expression, indicating that correction of Xist expression in preimplantation embryos had a long-term effect on their postnatal normality. Thus, contrary to the general assumption, our results suggest that the fate of cloned embryos is determined almost exclusively before implantation by their XCI status. Furthermore, our strategy provides a promising breakthrough for mammalian SCNT cloning because RNAi treatment of oocytes is readily applicable to most mammal species.
Project description:Study question: Does storage time impact on transcriptome of slowly frozen cryopreserved human metaphase II (MII) oocytes? Summary answer: For the first time, we demonstrate that the length of cryostorage has no effect on the gene expression profile of human metaphase II oocytes. What is known already: Oocyte cryopreservation is a largely-used technique in IVF for storage of surplus oocytes, as well as for fertility preservation (i.e., women undergoing gonadotoxic therapies) and oocyte donation programs. Although it is known that cryopreservation negatively impacts on oocyte physiology and it is associated with decrease of transcripts, no experimental data about the effect of storage time on the oocyte molecular profile are available to date. Study design, size, duration: This study included 27 women undergoing IVF treatment, < 38 years aged, without any ovarian pathology. Surplus MII oocytes were donated after written informed consent. A total of 31 non-cryopreserved oocytes and 68 surviving slow-frozen/rapid-thawed oocytes (32 oocytes cryostored for 3 years and 36 cryostored for 6 years) were analyzed. Participants/materials, setting, methods: Pools of ≈10 oocytes for each group were prepared. Total RNA was extracted from each pool, amplified, labeled and hybridized on 4x44K v2 microarrays (Agilent). Analyses were performed by R v3.1.3 software using the limma package v3.22.7. Main results and the role of chance: Comparison of gene expression profiles between surviving thawed oocytes after 3 and 6 years of storage in liquid nitrogen found no differently expressed genes. The expression profiles of cryopreserved MII oocytes significantly differed from those of non-cryopreserved oocytes in 107 probe sets corresponding to 73 down-regulated and 29 up-regulated unique transcripts. Gene Ontology analysis by DAVID bioinformatics resource disclosed that cryopreservation deregulates genes involved in oocyte function and early embryo development, such as chromosome organization, RNA splicing and processing, cell cycle process, response to DNA damage stimulus, cellular response to stress and DNA repair, calcium ion binding, malate dehydrogenase activity, mitochondrial membrane respiratory chain. Among the probes significantly up-regulated in cryopreserved oocytes, 2 corresponded to ovary-specific expressed large intergenic noncoding (linc)RNAs.