山羊卵母细胞的减数分裂进程

本实验以随机屠宰山羊的卵巢为实验材料,研究了不同直径卵泡卵母细胞的减数分裂进程。结果显示,不同直径卵泡卵母细胞在体外成熟培养条件下的减数分裂能力不同:≤0.5mm直径卵泡的卵母细胞不能恢复减数分裂;0.8-1.2mm卵泡的卵母细胞可恢复减数分裂,但只能发育到MⅠ期,培养24h发育到MⅠ期比率60%;1.5-5.0mm卵泡卵母细胞已经完全获得减数分裂能力,培养24h发育到MⅡ的比例91%。完全获得减数分裂能力的1.5-5.0mm卵泡卵母细胞处于生发泡(GV)期的比率在成熟培养2-8h期间明显下降;其中,4-6h期间GⅤ比率下降最为迅速(由61%降低到19%,p<0.0005);体外培养6-12h期间MⅠ比率由25%上升到60%,随后下降,到24h仅有2%卵母细胞处于MⅠ期;培养16h有21%卵母细胞进入MⅡ期,24h 91%卵母细胞到达MⅡ期。对卵母细胞体外核成熟进程的数据做折线图计算结果表明,1.5-5.0mm卵泡卵母细胞减数分裂进程(各细胞周期事件出现和维持的时间)为:0-3.0h为GⅤ期,3.0-7.0h为前中期Ⅰ,7.0-14.6h为MⅠ期,14.6-18.4h处于后期-Ⅰ和末期-Ⅰ,18.4-24h为MⅡ期。本实验还证明,部分获得减数分裂能力(0.8-1.2mm卵泡)与完全获得减数分裂能力(1.5-5mm卵泡)的卵母细胞,其各细胞周期事件一旦发生,所需的时间是相同的。这些结果为进一步研究山羊卵母细胞减数分裂机制及其调控提供了重要的基础数据。     

猪卵泡内环境对其卵母细胞体外成熟与发育的影响

目的：研究猪卵泡内环境对卵母细胞体外成熟,受精及受精卵体外发育的影响。结果：直径≥5mm,4-4.9mm,3-3.9mm,2-2.9mm的卵泡内卵母细胞体外成熟率分别为90．5％,89．7％,85．4％和67．4％。体外受精后,受精卵的发育能力随卵泡直径的增大而增强,来自直径≥5mm和4－4．9mm卵泡的受精卵发育到2－细胞,3－4细胞的比率显高于来自直径2－2．9mm的卵泡受精卵（P＜0．05或0．01）,体外成熟培养36,42,48小时,直径2－2．9mm卵泡卵的体外成熟率,体外受精后的卵裂率差异不显（P＞0．05）。在体外成熟培养液中添加5％或15％的不同直径卵泡的卵泡液,各组间卵母细胞的体外成熟率,受精卵的体外发育率均无显差异。结论：卵泡大小对猪卵母细胞体外成熟,受精及受精卵体外发育有重要影响。     

卵泡内环境对猪卵泡卵体外成熟和发育的影响

研究卵泡内环境对猪卵母细胞体外成熟、受精及受精卵体外发育的影响。主要结果如下：直径≥5mm、4－4.9mm、3－3.9mm和2－2.9mm的卵泡卵母细胞体外成熟率分别为90.5%、89.7%、85.4%和67.4%,体外受精后,卵母细胞的发育能力随卵泡直径的增大而增强,直径≥5mm和4－4.9mm卵泡卵的2－细胞、3－4－细胞发育率显著高于直径2－2.9mm的卵泡卵（P＜0.05或0.01）。体外成熟培养36h、42h和48h,直径2－2.9mm卵泡卵的体外成熟率,体外受精后的卵裂率差异不显著（P＞0.05）。在体外成熟培养液中添加5％或15％的不同直径卵泡的卵泡液,各组间卵母细胞的体外成熟率,受精卵的体外发育率均无显著差异,结果表明：卵泡大小对猪卵母细胞体外成熟、受精及受精卵体外发育有重要影响。     

银鲫卵母细胞体外诱导成熟技术的建立

研究以银鲫为材料, 根据银鲫(Carassius auratus gibelio)卵母细胞生发泡(Germinal vesicle, GV)边移程度及剥离GV中减数分裂前期染色体的凝集状态, 将银鲫Ⅳ时相的卵母细胞分为GV0、GV1、GV2和GV3四个时期; 并进一步比较了分别处于这4个时期银鲫卵母细胞体外诱导培养的成熟率、卵裂率和孵化率。结果表明, GV1期之后的卵母细胞均可有效进行体外诱导成熟, 可正常受精发育, 由于GV1期卵母细胞有较长时间用于显微操作, 因此GV1期卵母细胞被选为进行体外诱导的最早时期的卵母细胞。以GV1期卵母细胞为研究材料, 摸索了银鲫卵母细胞体外诱导成熟的适宜条件: 取GV1期的Ⅳ时相卵母细胞, 放置于pH 8.5、加有1 μg/mL孕酮激素(17α, 20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one, DHP)的格氏平衡盐溶液(Gey’s balanced salt solution, GBSS)中, 在23℃培养箱中体外诱导12h后, 将滤泡膜剥离后再进行人工体外授精, 其所获胚胎的孵化率可达55.5%。此外, 将体外转录合成的带GFP标签的h2af1o mRNA注射到GV1期卵母细胞, 发现经显微操作和体外诱导后不仅可以通过GFP绿色荧光信号活体观察GVBD、受精、卵裂和早期胚胎发育的全过程, 而且诱导成熟的卵子仍可正常受精和胚胎发育。研究建立的银鲫卵母细胞体外诱导成熟技术为银鲫和其他鱼类卵母细胞发育过程研究及其相关基因和细胞显微操作提供了技术平台。     

外源激素组合控制青春期前奶山羊卵泡超数同步发育及其卵母细胞发育潜能的评价

本研究的目的是探索自青春期前奶山羊获取大量可用于体细胞核移植的卵母细胞的可能性。为此,本研究比较了几种不同组合的激素处理方法(对照、FSH、E2-P4和E2-P4-FSH)对出生39-60日龄的奶山羊卵巢大小、卵泡数量和卵泡大小的影响:同时将出生39-120日龄奶山羊按年龄分成三组来研究年龄对激素处理时招募起始生长卵泡数量的影响:然后,比较了来自E2-P4- FSH和FSH处理的早青春期前奶山羊卵巢上直径大于3mm卵泡中卵母细胞减数分裂能力;最后,通过SCNT方法验证E2-P4-FSH处理的早青春期前奶山羊卵巢上直径大于3mm卵泡中卵母细胞的发育能力。在四组激素处理的早青春期前奶山羊中,E2-P4-FSH处理组的卵巢最大、卵泡(直径大于3 mm)数量最多。在不同的年龄组中,39-60天组奶山羊卵巢上直径大于3mm的卵泡数量显著多于61-90天和91-120天组的。卵母细胞减数分裂能力的分析结果表明,来自E2-P4-FSH处理组的卵母细胞减数分裂能力显著高于FSH处理组的卵母细胞。与E2-P4-FSH处理后的成年奶山羊卵母细胞相比,早青春期前奶山羊卵母细胞发育能力较低:卵母细胞成熟后,作为受体用于体细胞核移植后的克隆囊胚发育率低于成年奶山羊(15.3%versus 22.1%,P<0.01)。然而,早青春期前的奶山羊经E2-P4-FSH处理后,自每头羊卵巢上直径大于3mm的卵泡数显著高于成年奶山羊(108±10.3 versus 28±5.0),因此,每头早青春期前奶山羊产生的克隆囊胚绝对数量显著高于成年奶山羊(7.1±2.7 versus 4.2±1.4)。由此,从本研究可以得出结论:E2-P4-FSH处理的早青春期前奶山羊能够为体细胞核移植研究提供相对多数量的具备一定发育能力的成熟卵。     

新生小鼠卵巢移植雄鼠肾囊下卵泡的生长发育

将1日龄小鼠卵巢移植入成年雄鼠肾囊下,分别于移植后18d、36d回收移植卵巢进行形态学、组织学观察,以评价卵巢移植体在成年雄性受体小鼠体内生长及卵泡发育潜能。结果表明:移植体生长增大,有各级生长卵泡发育;18日龄移植体平均直径为1881.1μm±204.7μm,与1日龄卵巢相比差异极显著(P<0.01),卵泡发育到有腔卵泡阶段;36日龄移植体平均直径达2575.3μm±466.4μm,显著大于18日龄移植体(P<0.01),有成熟卵泡出现,未观察到黄体;从移植体分离到GV期卵母细胞和卵丘卵母细胞复合体。研究表明1日龄小鼠卵巢移植体在雄性受体生理环境中具有正常生长发育和形成成熟卵泡的潜能。     

卵母细胞的生发泡移植

生发泡(germinal vesicle,GV)移植到去核的GV期卵母细胞后,获得重构卵,重构卵在体外能成熟,受精和进行胚胎发育。GV移植到去核的第二次减数分裂中期(metaphase Ⅱ,MII)卵母细胞后,重构卵能发生GV破裂,但难以排出第一极体。GV移植后,通过连续核移植,重构合子具有发育到终期的能力。GV移植为研究卵母细胞的发育提供了一种重要工具。     

人-山羊异种核移植胚胎发育的初步研究

以体外分离培养的人胚胎成纤维细胞为核供体,经血清饥饿培养后,通过显微操作技术移入山羊去核卵母细胞中,采用化学方法激活重组胚.通过体外培养观察,2-细胞胚胎发育率可达51.33%,4-细胞发育率为31.42%,但发育至桑椹胚阶段的胚胎数目大大减少,仅为9.73%.虽然目前尚未能获得异种核移植囊胚,但实验结果说明山羊成熟卵母细胞可以支持人体细胞核完成重编程,人-山羊异种体细胞核移植重组胚可在体外完成其早期发育.     

小鼠体外发育成熟卵母细胞的胞浆成熟度评估

研究通过检测卵母细胞直径、谷胱甘肽含量和皮质颗粒分布来评估其胞浆成熟度。培养小鼠窦前卵泡13 d,得到258个体外发育MⅡ期卵母细胞;控制性超排得到205个体内发育的MⅡ期卵母细胞。测量卵母细胞直径,用免疫荧光染色、共聚焦显微镜观察卵母细胞皮质颗粒分布,化学法测定卵母细胞谷胱甘肽含量。结果发现,体外发育的卵母细胞直径(69.6±5.7)μm,体内发育卵母细胞直径(84.2±3.0)μm,两组间存在显著性差异(P<0.01)。体外发育成熟卵母细胞谷胱甘肽含量(4.3±0.7)pmol,体内发育的卵母细胞谷胱甘肽含量(6.1±1.0)pmol,两组间存在显著性差异(P<0.05)。体外发育卵母细胞皮质颗粒环状分布率36%,体内发育卵母细胞皮质颗粒环状分布率90%,两组间存在显著性差异(P<0.01)。本实验认为,体外发育成熟的卵母细胞胞浆成熟度与体内发育成熟的卵母细胞存在差异,可能是其发育潜能降低的原因之一。体外培养的卵泡内分泌结构改变可能影响卵母细胞胞浆成熟。     

猪卵母细胞玻璃化冷冻后细胞骨架的变化

为研究玻璃化冷冻后猪卵母细胞纺锤体、染色体和微丝的变化,从屠宰猪卵巢表面直径2—5mm卵泡中采集未成熟(GV)期卵母细胞,由GV期卵母细胞经成熟培养获得体外成熟(MⅡ)期卵母细胞。GV期和MⅡ期卵母细胞各分为3组对照组、冷冻保护剂处理组和玻璃化冷冻组。MⅡ期卵母细胞经分组处理后直接用于激光扫描共聚焦显微镜(LSCM)观察样本;而GV期卵母细胞处理后先经44h成熟培养,再用作LSCM观察样本。供试卵母细胞经固定、免疫荧光染色后,于LSCM下观察。结果表明,冷冻保护剂处理组GV期卵母细胞经成熟培养后,其纺锤体结构、染色体排列与微丝分布正常率分别为42.9%、89.6%和28.6%;玻璃化冷冻组此3项指标的正常率分别为10.1%、36.4%和16.9%,两组间差异显著(P<0.05);除冷冻保护剂处理组染色体正常率与对照组无较大差异外,两试验组的其他指标均明显低于对照组(分别为79.5%、93.1%和72.3%,P<0.05)。MⅡ期卵母细胞冷冻保护剂处理组的纺锤体结构、染色体排列与微丝分布正常率分别为34.4%、61.3%和47.9%,而冷冻组分别为12.9%、56.7%和37.2%,两组均显著低于对照组(分别为78.3%、90.1%和72.8%,P<0.05)。结果表明,猪GV期和MⅡ期卵母细胞经冷冻保护剂处理或玻璃化冷冻保存后,均造成了纺锤体、染色体和微丝不可逆的损伤,这可能是影响卵母细胞成熟、受精与发育的重要原因。     

Developmental competence of bovine oocytes after specific inhibition of MPF kinase activity: effect of estradiol supplementation and follicle size

In the bovine, the concentration of 17beta-estradiol (E2) in the follicular fluid of the dominant follicle is high, indicating a possible role of E2 on the cytoplasmic maturation that occurs before the LH surge. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of E2 on the developmental competence of bovine oocytes originating from different sized follicles and temporarily maintained at the germinal vesicle stage with roscovitine (ROS). First, the efficiency of ROS to inhibit germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) in oocytes harvested from small (3-4 mm diameter) and medium (5-8 mm diameter) sized follicles was demonstrated. Next, the effect of E2 during temporary inhibition of GVBD by ROS on the subsequent nuclear maturation was evaluated. Oocytes from small and medium sized follicles were cultured in the presence of ROS, FSH and with or without E2 for 24 h. After this period, oocytes were cultured for another 24 h with FSH but without ROS and E2, after which the nuclear stages and the developmental competence of oocytes were assessed. In conclusion, it is demonstrated that exposure to E2, during temporary inhibition of the GVBD with ROS, affected neither nuclear nor cytoplasmic maturation of oocytes originating from small and medium sized follicles. It might be that in vivo, the increase of E2 during follicle growth is more related to selection of the dominant follicle than to the cytoplamsic maturation of the oocyte as such.     

高尔基体对小鼠卵母细胞体外发育进程的影响

目的初步探讨高尔基体在小鼠卵母细胞体外发育进程中的作用。方法布雷菲德菌素A（Brefeldin A,BFA）处理小鼠未成熟,成熟卵母细胞,利用特异性标记物阻COP标记高尔基体。激光扫描共聚焦显微镜观察BFA处理对高尔基体产生的影响;同时。观察并比较不同处理组小鼠未成熟／成熟卵母细胞的体外成熟率、孤雌激活率、体外受精率及2-细胞率。结果GV期卵母细胞经BFA处理后,高尔基体的形态和分布发生明显改变。其体外成熟率（2．5％）与对照组（70．4％）比较统计学差异显著（P〈0．001）;洗掉BFA后,其体外成熟率（67．2％）与对照组无统计学差异（P〉0．05）。另外,成熟卵母细胞经BFA处理后。其体外受精率及2．细胞率均与对照组差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。结论小鼠卵母细胞体外成熟的正常进行需要高尔基体主导的膜运输。而体外受精和受精卵卵裂过程中不需要功能性的高尔基体。     

Effect of follicular size on meiotic and developmental competence of porcine oocytes

In several species, the developmental competence of the oocyte is acquired progressively during late follicular growth, after the acquisition of the competence to resume and complete meiosis. In the pig, full meiotic competence of the oocyte is reached in ovarian follicles with a diameter of 3 mm or more. However, there is no information about developmental competence acquisition. We analyzed the ability of oocytes from three foll icular size classes to resume and complete meiosis, to be fertilized, and to develop in vitro to the blastocyst stage. A total of 941 follicles were dissected from slaughterhouse gilt ovaries and classified as small (<3 mm, n = 330), medium (3-5 mm, n = 373), or large (>5 mm, n = 238). The cumulus-oocyte complexes recovered from these follicles were submitted to in vitro maturation for 44 h in TCM199 supplemented with 10 ng/ml EGF, 400 ng/ml pFSH and 570 microM cysteamine; in vitro fertilized for 18 h in mTBM with 10(5) frozen-thawed percoll-selected sperms/ml; and developed for 7 days in mSOF. Samples of oocytes or presumptive zygotes were fixed and stained at the end of maturation and fertilization. Groups of oocytes were cultured for 3 h in the presence of 35S-methionine before or after maturation for SDS-PAGE analysis of protein neosynthesis. More oocytes originating from medium and large follicles were competent for maturation than oocytes from small follicles (77 and 86% of metaphase II, respectively, versus 44%, P < 0.05). More oocytes from medium and large follicles werepenetratedby spermatozoa during in vitro fertilization, resulting in significantly more oocytes presenting two or more pronuclei at the end of fertilization (73 and 77% for medium and large follicles, respectively, versus 53% for small follicles, P < 0.05). More oocytes from medium and large follicles developed to the blastocyst stage (14 and 23%, respectively) than those from small follicles (3%, P < 0.05), even if the development rates were corrected by the maturation or fertilization rates. It is concluded that a high proportion of oocytes harvested from follicles of less than 3 mm in the pig are not fully competent for meiosis and are cytoplasmically deficient for development.     

Origin of bovine follicular fluid and its effect during in vitro maturation on the developmental competence of bovine oocytes

Protein supplementation during in vitro maturation can profoundly affect both the rate and overall efficiency of the maturation procedure. The present study was conducted to assess the ability of different concentrations (1, 5, and 10%) of bovine follicular fluid (bFF) to support in vitro maturation of oocytes and subsequent developmental capacity. The bFF was derived either from competent follicles ( > 8 mm) obtained by transvaginal recovery following superovulation or from a pool of small follicles (2-5 mm) from abbatoir-derived ovaries. Bovine oocytes were cultured for 24 h in synthetic oviduct fluid medium (m-SOF) supplemented with polyvinylpyrrolidone. Following fertilization and embryo culture, more oocytes (P < 0.05) reached the blastocyst stage when oocytes were cultured with 5% bFF from competent follicles (41 +/- 3.7%) compared with bFF derived from small follicles (16 +/- 2.9%). Estradiol and recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone added to the competent bFF during maturation acted in synergy to increase blastocyst production rate (P < 0.05); this blastocyst production rate (57 +/- 1.2%) was higher than those obtained with the addition of these two hormones to bFF derived from small follicles (26 +/- 2.9%). The quality of blastocysts obtained was reflected by inner cell mass (51.30 +/- 3.5 and 25.50 +/- 3.7) and trophectoderm cell numbers (99.72 +/- 2.5 and 94.80 +/- 4.7) for bFF from competent and small follicles, respectively. In conclusion, follicular fluid originating from competent follicles increased the developmental competence of abbatoir-derived oocytes.     

Changes in germinal vesicle (GV) chromatin configurations during growth and maturation of porcine oocytes

Changes in germinal vesicle (GV) chromatin configurations during growth and maturation of porcine oocytes were studied using a new method that allows a clearer visualization of both nucleolus and chromatin after Hoechst staining. The GV chromatin of porcine oocytes was classified into five configurations, based on the degree of chromatin condensation, and on nucleolus and nuclear membrane disappearance. While the GV1 to 4 configurations were similar to those reported by previous studies, the GV0 configuration was distinct by the diffuse, filamentous pattern of chromatin in the whole nuclear area. Most of the oocytes were at the GV0 stage in the <1 and 1-1.9 mm follicles, but the GV0 pattern disappeared completely in the 2-2.9 and 3-6 mm follicles. As follicles grew, the number of oocytes with GV1 configurations increased and reached a maximum in the preovulatory follicles 4 hr post-hCG injection. During maturation in vivo, the number of GV1 oocytes decreased while oocytes undergoing GVBD increased. The percentage of oocytes with GV3 and GV4 configurations was constant during oocyte growth except at the 2-2.9 mm follicle stage, but these configurations disappeared completely after hCG injection. On the contrary, the in vitro maturing oocytes showed a large proportion of GV3 and GV4 configurations. There was no significant difference in distribution of chromatin configurations between the nonatretic and atretic follicles, and between oocytes with more than two layers of cumulus cells and those with less than one layer or no cumulus cells. Overall, our results suggested that (i) the GV0 configuration in porcine oocytes corresponded to the "nonsurrounded nucleolus" pattern in mice and other species; (ii) all the oocytes were synchronized at the GV1 stage before GVBD and this pattern might, therefore, represent a nonatretic state; (iii) the GV3 and GV4 configurations might represent stages toward atresia, or transient events prior to GVBD that could be switched toward either ovulation or atresia, depending upon circumstances; (iv) the in vitro systems currently used were not favorable for oocytes to switch toward ovulation (or final maturation); (v) the number of cumulus cells was not correlated with the chromatin configuration of oocytes, indicating that the beneficial effect of cumulus cells on oocyte maturation and development may simply be attributed to their presence during in vitro culture.     

Live offspring by in vitro fertilization of oocytes from cryopreserved primordial mouse follicles after sequential in vivo transplantation and in vitro maturation

The objectives of the present study were to achieve 1) oocyte maturation, 2) oocyte competence of fertilization, and 3) oocyte competence of embryogenesis with oocytes from primordial follicles obtained from cryopreserved newborn mouse ovaries by using a two-step method. In the first step, frozen-thawed newborn mouse ovaries were transplanted under the kidney capsule of recipients for the initiation of growth from the primordial follicle stage on. In the second step, growing preantral follicles in the ovarian grafts were recovered and cultured. The results demonstrated that primordial follicles were able to be recruited to preantral follicles during the period of transplantation, and preantral follicles could be mechanically isolated from ovarian grafts. Under the present in vitro culture conditions, 85.8% of the isolated follicles (n = 332) from ovarian grafts survived the 12-day in vitro culture process, 84.9% of the recovered oocytes (n = 285) were germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD)-competent, and 76% of the oocytes that underwent GVBD (n = 242) developed to the metaphase II (MII) stage. In the in vitro fertilization experiments, 75.4% of 142 inseminated MII oocytes underwent fertilization and cleavage to the 2-cell stage. Subsequently, 79.7% of the 2-cell-stage embryos (n = 69) progressed to the late morula-early blastocyst stage. Transfer of late morula-early blastocyst embryos resulted in the production of live offspring. From our experiments, it may be concluded that in vivo maturation by grafting followed by in vitro maturation of frozen-thawed primordial follicles can restore fertility in mice. This model could be useful for a similar application in the human.     

Changes in ovarian, follicular, and oocyte morphology immediately after the onset of puberty are not accompanied by an increase in oocyte developmental competence in the pig

This study was conducted to determine whether ovarian morphology and developmental competence of in vitro-matured (IVM) oocytes is immediately affected by the onset of puberty in the pig. Ovaries of peri-pubertal pigs were sorted into two groups according to the presence or absence of corpora lutea presence (CL and NCL, respectively. Ovary dimensions, follicle diameter and number, and oocyte diameter (with and without zona pellucidae) were determined. The developmental competence of in vitro-matured oocytes from these two groups was evaluated following parthenogenetic activation and culture in vitro. CL ovaries were significantly (P<0.01) larger than NCL ovaries (width: 22.3+/-0.9 mm versus 15.9+/-0.4 mm, length: 33.2+/-1 mm versus 24.1+/-0.4 mm). Although CL ovaries had fewer antral follicles in total compared with NCL ovaries (21.1+/-1.8 mm versus 46.8+/-2.2 mm), they had a similar number of follicles 3-8mm in diameter. The mean diameter of follicles that were aspirated was greater for CL ovaries than for NCL ovaries (4.5+/-0.1 mm versus 3.3+/-0.02 mm). Oocytes from CL ovaries were greater in diameter compared with those from NCL ovaries (zona retained: 159+/-1.3 microm versus 146.1+/-1.5 microm, zona free: 124.7+/-1.8 microm versus 113.1+/-1.6 microm). No differences were found between oocytes from CL and NCL ovaries for rates of meiotic maturation (91.6+/-3.2% versus 92.4+/-3.2%), cleavage (88.4+/-11% versus 90.7+/-2.6%) and blastocyst formation (21.0+/-3.7% versus 23.7+/-5.7%). Therefore, the onset of puberty coincides with immediate changes in ovarian morphology, increased ovary size, follicle and oocyte diameter, but not with improved oocyte developmental competence. This suggests that the higher developmental competence usually observed in adult oocytes is acquired gradually and requires exposure to multiple estrus cycles.     

山羊卵母细胞的减数分裂进程

The meiotic progression of goat oocytes from follicles of different diameters was investigated in this study. The results were summarized as follows: (1) The in vitro meiotic maturation capacity was different among oocytes from follicles of different diameters. And thus oocytes from < or = 0.5 mm follicles were unable to resume meiosis; oocytes from 0.8-1.2 mm follicles were capable to resume meiosis, but could develop only to MI stage (60% at 24 h); oocytes from 1.5-5 mm follicles had acquired full-meiotic maturation capacity and 91% of them developed to M II stage at 24 h of culture. (2) The percentage of oocytes with intact-germinal vesicles from 1.5-5 mm follicles decreased significantly during 2-8 h of in vitro maturation and the decrease was even more rapid during 4-6 h of culture (from 60% to 19%, p < 0.0005). The percentage of oocytes at M I-stage increased from 24% to 61% during 6-12 h of in vitro maturation, and it then decreased. By 24 h of culture, only 2% oocytes remained at M I-stage. Twenty one percent of the oocytes in this group developed to M II-stage at 16 h of culture, and by 24 h of culture, 91% were at M II-stage. (3) Statistic analysis of the meiotic progression (the duration of each cell cycle stage) of oocytes from 1.5-5 mm follicles showed that GV stage lasted from 0 to 3 h of culture, prometaphase-I stage was from 3.0 to 7.0 h, metaphase-I stage was from 7.0 to 14.6 h, anaphase-I/telophase-I was from 14.6 to 18.4 h and metaphase-II stage lasted from 18.4 to 24 h. (4) Whether the oocytes capable of GVBD and entrance of M I developed to M II, the timing of meiotic progression prior to M I was similar. In summary, our results provided necessary data for studies on the mechanisms and control of meiosis in mammalian oocytes.     

Bovine oocyte diameter in relation to developmental competence

This study was conducted to determine the diameter of bovine oocytes that were able to attain their full developmental competence to blastocysts. Oocytes were recovered by aspiration of surface-visible follicles (1 to 7 mm in diameter) from slaughterhouse ovaries. Only healthy-looking cumulus-oocyte complexes were used for in vitro maturation, and they were divided into six groups based on diameter: < 110 microm, 110 to < 115 microm, 115 to < 120 microm, 120 to < 125 microm, 125 to < 130 microm and >/= 130 microm. Oocytes were processed through standard procedures for in vitro maturation, fertilization and culture. Following in vitro maturation or fertilization, some oocytes were stained to assess nuclear maturation and penetration rates. The numbers of embryos that cleaved at 42 h post insemination and developed to blastocysts and hatched blastocysts after 8 days of culture were recorded. The mean oocyte diameters were 114.0 +/- 4.8 microm. The oocytes displayed size-related ability to undergo meiotic maturation. The rates of nuclear maturation of oocytes in the greater than 115-microm size range were significantly higher than those of oocytes with diameters < 115 microm. In the < 120 microm diameter groups, the polyspermic fertilization rates of oocytes < 115 microm were significantly higher than those of oocytes 115 to < 120 microm in diameter. The rates of cleavage and development to blastocysts and hatched blastocysts rose as oocyte diameter increased. Among oocytes with a diameter >110 microm, oocytes < 120 microm were found to have significantly lower developmental competence than oocytes 120 to < 130 microm in diameter. These results suggest that bovine oocytes have acquired full meiotic competence at a diameter of 115 microm but not yet attained full developmental competence to blastocysts, and that oocytes have acquired full developmental competence at a diameter of 120 microm.