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Gene expression in the in vitro-produced preimplantation bovine embryos

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 November 2007

H. Badr ,
G. Bongioni ,
A.S.S. Abdoon ,
O. Kandil  and
R. Puglisi
H. Badr
Affiliation:
Istituto Sperimentale Italiano “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, Località La Quercia, Rivolta D'Adda 26027 (Cremona), Italy.
G. Bongioni
Affiliation:
Istituto Sperimentale Italiano “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, Località La Quercia, Rivolta D'Adda 26027 (Cremona), Italy.
A.S.S. Abdoon
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Reproduction & A.I, National Research Centre, Dokki 12311, Cairo, Egypt.
O. Kandil
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Reproduction & A.I, National Research Centre, Dokki 12311, Cairo, Egypt.
R. Puglisi*
Affiliation:
Istituto Sperimentale Italiano “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, Località La Quercia, Rivolta D'Adda 26027 (Cremona), Italy.
*
All correspondence to: Roberto Puglisi, Istituto Sperimentale Italiano “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, Località La Quercia, Rivolta D'Adda 26027 (Cremona), Italy. Tel: +39 0363 78883. Fax: +39 0363 37047981. e-mail: roberto.puglisi@istitutospallanzani.it
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Summary

Recent studies have demonstrated the relevance of a gene expression profile as a clinically important key feature determining embryo quality during the in vitro preimplantation period. Although the oocyte origin can play a crucial role in blastocyst yield, the postfertilization culture period has a profound effect in determining the blastocyst quality with particular regard to the relative abundance of many developmentally and clinically important candidate genes. During the preimplantation period, the embryo undergoes several morphogenetic developmental events including oocyte maturation, minor and major forms of embryonic genome activation and transition of transcription from maternal to embryonic control. The effect of an altered gene expression pattern on the in vitro-produced bovine embryos, particularly when cultured under suboptimal conditions, was reflected by the occurrence of clinically important phenomena like apoptosis and the large offspring syndrome. This review attempts to focus on the morphogenetic embryo development and gene expression profile in the in vitro-produced bovine embryos, with special emphasis on the different parameters that may alter gene expression pattern during the critical period of in vitro culture. The effect of the in vitro system, as reflected by some clinically important phenomena like apoptosis, is also discussed.

Keywords

BovineEmbryoGene expressionIn vitro

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Zygote , Volume 15 , Issue 4 , November 2007 , pp. 355 - 367
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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