Development of a high performance system to assess the mitochondrial respiratory activity and embryo quality based on scanning electrochemical microscopy

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25282150
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Medical systems
• Research Institution: Yamagata University
• Principal Investigator: Abe Hiroyuki 山形大学, 大学院理工学研究科, 教授 (10375199)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 黒谷 玲子 山形大学, 理工学研究科, 准教授 (00453043)
• Research Collaborator: TAKAKURA Kei ; SAKAHARA Satoshi
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞呼吸 / 電気化学計測 / 細胞機能診断 / ミトコンドリア / 生殖医療

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Respiration is useful parameter for evaluating embryo quality as it provides important information about metabolic activity. In this study, we have developed a scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) technique that is a non-invasive and sensitive method for measuring oxygen consumption by individual oocytes and embryos. With this system, oxygen consumption of single, identical oocytes and embryos at different developmental stages has been monitored. This study showed that the mitochondrial respiratory activity in embryos increased in morula and peaked in hatched blastocyst and the development of mitochondrial function depends on the gene expression of COX subunit encoded by genomic DNA. This study shows that the SECM technique is able to non-invasively assess the mitochondrial respiration function of individual bovine embryos and the embryo quality. The SECM system may contribute to improvements in reproductive technologies.

Free Research Field

生殖生物学