Can embryos derived from abnormal cleavage become calves?

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26450388
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Animal production science
• Research Institution: National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
• Principal Investigator: MATOBA SATOKO (的場理子) 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 畜産研究部門・家畜育種繁殖研究領域, 上級研究員 (60592574)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HIRAO Yuji 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 畜産研究部門・家畜育種繁殖研究領域, ユニット長 (10355349)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 異常卵割 / ウシ / 繁殖 / 体外受精 / 卵子 / 発生能 / 遺伝子発現 / 受胎

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the characteristics of abnormal cleavage patterns after fertilization and the competence of abnormally cleaved embryos to develop to calves. The appearance of abnormal cleavage depended on the embryo production method. Embryos with abnormal first cleavage had a significantly lower competence to develop to the blastocyst stage than normal embryos; however, half of them still reached the blastocyst stage. We developed a method for gene expression analysis from cDNA amplified from single blastomeres in 2-cell embryos. The results revealed a positive association between gene expression and the developmental potential of the embryo. Possessing each one of the four types abnormalities of the first embryonic cleavage was associated with a decreased conception rate compared with embryos showing normal cleavage. However, even when embryos had two parameters of abnormalities and thus low conception rates, conceived embryos had the potential to develop to calves.

Free Research Field

農学