Allogenic Follicular Fosterage Technology: Problems, Progress and Potential.

The allogeneic follicular fosterage (AFF) technique transfers cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) from pubertal female animals to the dominant follicles of adult female animals for further development, allowing the COCs to further develop in a completely in vivo environment. This article reviews the history of AFF and JIVET and their effects on oocyte and embryo development as well as freezing resistance. Improving the efficiency and reproducibility of AFF technology is crucial to its clinical application.

Genomic selection analysis of morphological and adaptation traits in Chinese indigenous dog breeds.

The significant morphological differences and abundant germplasm resources of Chinese indigenous dog breeds can be attributed to the diverse geographical environment, including plateaus, mountains, and a long history of raising dogs. The combination of both natural and artificial selection during the past several thousand years has led to hundreds of dog breeds with distinct morphological traits and environmental adaptations. China is one of the earliest countries to domesticate dogs and there are more than 50 ancient indigenous dog breeds.

Dynamic role of Scd1 gene during mouse oocyte growth and maturation.

Mammalian reproductive ability is regulated by many factors, among which the fatty acid metabolism network provides energy for oocyte growth and primordial follicle formation during early mouse oogenesis. But the mechanism behind that is still unknown. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (Scd1) gene expression is increased during the oogenesis process, supporting the oocyte's healthy growth.

Low-Dose Sodium Salicylate Promotes Ovulation by Regulating Steroids via CYP17A1.

To meet the current demand of assisted reproduction and animal breeding via superovulation and reduce the impact of hormone drugs, it is necessary to develop new superovulation drugs. This study examined the role of inflammation and steroids in ovulation. Sodium salicylate can regulate inflammation and steroids.

Effect of Disulfiram on the Reproductive Capacity of Female Mice.

In the process of assisted reproduction, the high-oxygen in vitro environment can easily cause oxidative damage to oocytes. Disulfiram (DSF) can play an anti-oxidant or pro-oxidant role in different cells, and the effect of DSF on oocytes remains unclear. Moreover, it remains unclear whether the use of DSF in the early stages of pregnancy has a negative impact on the fetus.

Scd1 Deficiency in Early Embryos Affects Blastocyst ICM Formation through RPs-Mdm2-p53 Pathway.

Embryos contain a large number of lipid droplets, and lipid metabolism is gradually activated during embryonic development to provide energy. However, the regulatory mechanisms remain to be investigated. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (Scd1) is a fatty acid desaturase gene that is mainly involved in intracellular monounsaturated fatty acid production, which takes part in many physiological processes.

Super-enhancers conserved within placental mammals maintain stem cell pluripotency.

Despite pluripotent stem cells sharing key transcription factors, their maintenance involves distinct genetic inputs. Emerging evidence suggests that super-enhancers (SEs) can function as master regulatory hubs to control cell identity and pluripotency in humans and mice. However, whether pluripotency-associated SEs share an evolutionary origin in mammals remains elusive.

Effects of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated stearoyl-Coenzyme A desaturase 1 knockout on mouse embryo development and lipid synthesis.

Background: Lipid synthesis is an indispensable process during embryo and growth development. Abnormal lipid synthesis metabolism can cause multiple metabolic diseases including obesity and hyperlipidemia. Stearoyl-Coenzyme A desaturase 1 (SCD1) is responsible for catalyzing the synthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and plays an essential role in lipid metabolism.

Salidroside improves porcine oocyte maturation and subsequent embryonic development by promoting lipid metabolism.

An optimal lipid droplet (LD) content is essential for successful mammalian embryonic development. Salidroside (SAL) is a traditional Chinese medicine and one of the important active components of the Rhodiola plant. SAL possesses antioxidative, anti-aging, and cardiovascular properties.

Sperm-derived RNAs improve the efficiency of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) through promoting R-loop formation.

Mammalian sperm and oocytes are haploid cells that carry parental genetic and epigenetic information for their progeny. The cytoplasm of oocytes is also capable of reprograming somatic cells to establish totipotency through somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). However, epigenetic barriers seriously counteract SCNT reprogramming.

Knockout of Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase 1 Decreased Milk Fat and Unsaturated Fatty Acid Contents of the Goat Model Generated by CRISPR/Cas9.

Goat milk contains a rich source of nutrients, especially unsaturated fatty acids. However, the regulatory mechanism of milk fat and fatty acid synthesis remains unclear. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) is the key enzyme catalyzing monounsaturated fatty acid synthesis and is essential for milk lipid metabolism.

-Ketoglutarate Improves Meiotic Maturation of Porcine Oocytes and Promotes the Development of PA Embryos, Potentially by Reducing Oxidative Stress through the Nrf2 Pathway.

-Ketoglutarate (-KG) is a metabolite in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. It has a strong antioxidant function and can effectively prevent oxidative damage. Previous studies have shown that -KG exists in porcine follicles, and its content gradually increases as the follicles grow and mature.

Asymmetric expression of maternal mRNA governs first cell-fate decision.

The goal of preimplantation development is to establish the fates of the embryonic and extra-embryonic cells. However, when and how cell fates are determined during early mammalian embryonic development remains unclear. We report that the high mobility group (HMG) protein family member HMGA1 was distributed differentially in mouse two-cell blastomeres.

TLR7/8 signalling affects X-sperm motility via the GSK3 α/β-hexokinase pathway for the efficient production of sexed dairy goat embryos.

Background: Goat milk is very similar to human milk in terms of its abundant nutrients and ease of digestion. To derive greater economic benefit, farmers require more female offspring (does); however, the buck-to-doe offspring sex ratio is approximately 50%. At present, artificial insemination after the separation of X/Y sperm using flow cytometry is the primary means of controlling the sex of livestock offspring.

Histone demethylase complexes KDM3A and KDM3B cooperate with OCT4/SOX2 to define a pluripotency gene regulatory network.

The pluripotency gene regulatory network of porcine induced pluripotent stem cells(piPSCs), especially in epigenetics, remains elusive. To determine the biological function of epigenetics, we cultured piPSCs in different culture conditions. We found that activation of pluripotent gene- and pluripotency-related pathways requires the erasure of H3K9 methylation modification which was further influenced by mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) served feeder.

Coping with DNA Double-Strand Breaks via ATM Signaling Pathway in Bovine Oocytes.

As a common injury almost all cells face, DNA damage in oocytes-especially double-strand breaks (DSBs), which occur naturally during the first meiosis phase (meiosis I) due to synaptic complex separation-affects the fertilization ability of oocytes, instead of causing cancer (as in somatic cells). The mechanism of oocytes to effectively repair DSB damage has not yet been clearly studied, especially considering medically induced DSBs superimposed on naturally occurring DSBs in meiosis I. It was found that maturation rates decreased or increased, respectively corresponding with overexpression or interference of in bovine oocytes.

BCL2 enhances survival of porcine pluripotent stem cells through promoting FGFR2.

Objectives: The establishment of porcine pluripotent stem cells (pPSCs) is still a critical topic. However, all pPSCs were failed to contribute to efficient chimeric pig and were extremely sensitive to changes of culture conditions. This study aimed to investigate the role of BCL2 in pPSCs and further explain the mechanism.

Early cleavage of preimplantation embryos is regulated by tRNA-derived small RNAs present in mature spermatozoa.

tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) from spermatozoa could act as acquired epigenetic factors and contribute to offspring phenotypes. However, the roles of specific tsRNAs in early embryo development remain to be elucidated. Here, using pigs as a research model, we probed the tsRNA dynamics during spermatogenesis and sperm maturation and demonstrated the delivery of tsRNAs from semen-derived exosomes to spermatozoa.

Generation of gene-edited sheep with a defined Booroola fecundity gene (FecB) mutation in bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 1B (BMPR1B) via clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) 9.

Since its emergence, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated (Cas) 9 system has been increasingly used to generate animals for economically important traits. However, most CRISPR/Cas9 applications have been focused on non-homologous end joining, which results in base deletions and insertions, leading to a functional knockout of the targeted gene. The Booroola fecundity gene (FecBB) mutation (p.

Characterization of porcine extraembryonic endoderm cells.

Objectives: To date, many efforts have been made to establish porcine embryonic stem (pES) cells without success. Extraembryonic endoderm (XEN) cells can self-renew and differentiate into the visceral endoderm and parietal endoderm. XEN cells are derived from the primitive endoderm of the inner cell mass of blastocysts and may be an intermediate state in cell reprogramming.

Establishment of CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Knock-in System for Porcine Cells with High Efficiency.

Since the birth of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9, the new genome engineering technology has become a hot topic in the scientific community. However, for swine, the system of pig cells' homology directed repair (HDR) is generally unstable and costly. Here, we aim to make knock-in of porcine cells more realizable.

Cysteine protects rabbit spermatozoa against reactive oxygen species-induced damages.

The process of cryopreservation results in over-production of reactive oxygen species, which is extremely detrimental to spermatozoa. The aim of this study was to investigate whether addition of cysteine to freezing extender would facilitate the cryosurvival of rabbit spermatozoa, and if so, how cysteine protects spermatozoa from cryodamages. Freshly ejaculated semen was diluted with Tris-citrate-glucose extender supplemented with different concentrations of cysteine.

Correction: Disruption of FGF5 in Cashmere Goats Using CRISPR/Cas9 Results in More Secondary Hair Follicles and Longer Fibers.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Disruption of FGF5 in Cashmere Goats Using CRISPR/Cas9 Results in More Secondary Hair Follicles and Longer Fibers.

Precision genetic engineering accelerates the genetic improvement of livestock for agriculture and biomedicine. We have recently reported our success in producing gene-modified goats using the CRISPR/Cas9 system through microinjection of Cas9 mRNA and sgRNAs targeting the MSTN and FGF5 genes in goat embryos. By investigating the influence of gene modification on the phenotypes of Cas9-mediated goats, we herein demonstrate that the utility of this approach involving the disruption of FGF5 results in increased number of second hair follicles and enhanced fiber length in Cas9-mediated goats, suggesting more cashmere will be produced.