Improvement of ICSI technique focused on the induction of oocyte activation in pigs

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26850172
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Animal production science
• Research Institution: National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (2016); National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (2014-2015)
• Principal Investigator: NAKAI Michiko 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 生物機能利用研究部門 動物機能利用研究領域, 研究員 (30442825)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 顕微授精 / ブタ / 卵活性化 / PLCzeta

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a useful tool for producing live offspring from immotile sperm. However, the efficiency of fertilization after ICSI is low. It is hypothesized that a failure in oocyte activation causes it in this study. Therefore, this study tried to develop new method for induction of physiological oocyte activation using PLCzeta, which is thought to be the oocyte-activating factor in mammalian sperm. As a result, it was clearly that a lack of PLCzeta in sperm led to a failure in an induction of oocyte activation after ICSI. Furthermore, the injection of PLCzeta mRNA into the pig oocyte injected with sperm induced oocyte activation efficiently and promoted dramatically fertilization. In addition, the induction of oocyte activation using PLCzeta protein will be continued to investigate.

Free Research Field

家畜繁殖学