Meiotic and mitotic Ca2+ oscillations affect cell composition in resulting blastocysts.

Dev Biol

Medical Research Council Experimental Embryology and Teratology Unit, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London, United Kingdom.

Published: February 1997

At fertilization periodic Ca2+ oscillations release oocytes from meiotic arrest. The present study examined whether these oscillations have a long-term role in pre- and postimplantation development, independent of their immediate effect. Sr(2+)-containing medium was used to induce oscillations during exit from meiosis and first embryonic mitosis and Sr(2+)-activated parthenotes were compared to ethanol-activated parthenotes and embryos generated by in vitro fertilization. After embryo culture, blastocysts were differentially stained for the inner cell mass and trophectoderm. It was found that oscillations both during exit from meiosis and during mitosis acted to increase the number of inner cell mass cells. In contrast, the trophectoderm cell number was largest in ethanol-activated parthenotes and smallest in fertilized embryos. Postimplantation development was also modestly improved by extending the time of exposure to Sr(2+)-containing medium. Together these data suggest that Ca2+ oscillations have a role in long-term embryonic events and that they provide more than merely a stimulus for meiotic resumption.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/dbio.1996.8468DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

ca2+ oscillations
12
postimplantation development
8
sr2+-containing medium
8
oscillations exit
8
exit meiosis
8
ethanol-activated parthenotes
8
inner cell
8
cell mass
8
oscillations
6
meiotic mitotic
4

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!