Project description:Some embryos display better survival potential to cryopreservation than others. The cause of such phenotype is still unclear and might be due to cell damage during cryopreservation, resulting from over-accumulation and composition of lipids. In cattle embryos, in vitro culture conditions have been shown to impact the number of lipid droplets within blastomeres. So far, the impact of breed on embryonic lipid content has not yet been studied. In this study were compared the colour, lipid droplet abundance, lipid composition, mitochondrial activity, and gene expression of in vivo collected Jersey breed embryos which are known to display poor performance post-freezing and in vivo Holstein embryos which have good cryotolerance. Holstein in vivo day 6 embryos vs Jersey in vivo day 6 embryos: 4 replicates of each breed, with dye-swap.
Project description:Some embryos display better survival potential to cryopreservation than others. The cause of such phenotype is still unclear and might be due to cell damage during cryopreservation, resulting from over-accumulation and composition of lipids. In cattle embryos, in vitro culture conditions have been shown to impact the number of lipid droplets within blastomeres. So far, the impact of breed on embryonic lipid content has not yet been studied. In this study were compared the colour, lipid droplet abundance, lipid composition, mitochondrial activity, and gene expression of in vivo collected Jersey breed embryos which are known to display poor performance post-freezing and in vivo Holstein embryos which have good cryotolerance.
Project description:The decreased rate of pregnancy obtained in cattle using frozen in vitro embryos compared to in vivo embryos has been associated with over-accumulation of intracellular lipid, which causes cell damage during cryopreservation. It is believed that the higher lipid content of blastomeres of bovine embryos produced in vitro results in darker coloured cytoplasm which could be a consequence of impaired mitochondrial function. In this study, L-carnitine was used as a treatment to reduce embryonic lipid content by increasing metabolism in cultured bovine embryos. We have observed previously that in vivo embryos of different dairy breed collected from cows housed and fed under the same conditions differed in lipid content and metabolism. As such, breed effects between Holstein and Jersey were also accounted for general appearance, lipid composition, mitochondrial activity and gene expression. Adding L-carnitine to the embryo culture medium reduced the lipid content in both breeds due to increased mitochondrial activity.
Project description:The decreased rate of pregnancy obtained in cattle using frozen in vitro embryos compared to in vivo embryos has been associated with over-accumulation of intracellular lipid, which causes cell damage during cryopreservation. It is believed that the higher lipid content of blastomeres of bovine embryos produced in vitro results in darker coloured cytoplasm which could be a consequence of impaired mitochondrial function. In this study, L-carnitine was used as a treatment to reduce embryonic lipid content by increasing metabolism in cultured bovine embryos. We have observed previously that in vivo embryos of different dairy breed collected from cows housed and fed under the same conditions differed in lipid content and metabolism. As such, breed effects between Holstein and Jersey were also accounted for general appearance, lipid composition, mitochondrial activity and gene expression. Adding L-carnitine to the embryo culture medium reduced the lipid content in both breeds due to increased mitochondrial activity. L-carnitine vs controls, in 4 replicates for each breed, with dye-swaps.