title: Electrically induced calcium elevation, activation, and parthenogenetic development of bovine oocytes.
abstract: The influence of electrical stimulation on the level of intracellular Ca2+ in bovine oocytes, as well as activation and extent of parthenogenetic development, was investigated. Mature oocytes were electrically stimulated at 29 hr of maturation, and intracellular Ca2+ concentration was determined with the Ca2+ indicator fura-2 dextran (fura-2 D). The Ca2+ response of oocytes to a given electrical pulse was variable. Oocytes responded with either no Ca2+ rise from baseline (approximately 12 nM), a short-duration Ca2+ rise (from 12 nM to 300 nM) that returned to baseline within 2 min of the pulse, or a long-duration Ca2+ rise (from 12 nM to 1,000-2,000 nM) that never returned to baseline during the 8 min period over which the oocytes were monitored. In these oocytes, Ca2+ level returned to baseline when oocytes were removed from 0.30 M mannitol and placed in an ionic medium. Increasing field strength or pulse duration tended to increase the proportion of oocytes displaying a Ca2+ rise, and at 1.0 kVcm-1 for 40 microseconds, all oocytes displayed a long-duration Ca2+ elevation. Direct transfer of oocytes from culture medium to mannitol also triggered a Ca2+ rise. Multiple stimulations, either electrical or by transferring to mannitol, produced multiple Ca2+ rises. This mannitol-induced Ca2+ rise could be inhibited by first washing the oocytes in medium containing equal parts of 0.30 M mannitol and phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The level of Ca2+ stimulation affected activation and development of oocytes. Insufficient, or, conversely, excessive Ca2+ stimulation impaired development. Optimum development was obtained with 1) three pulses of 0.2 kVcm-1 for 20 microseconds, each pulse 22 min apart, after direct transfer of oocytes from culture medium to mannitol (22% blastocysts) or 2) three pulses of 1.0 kVcm-1 for 20 microseconds after transfer of oocytes from culture medium to medium containing equal parts mannitol and PBS, then to mannitol (24% blastocysts). This procedure avoided induction of a Ca2+ rise prior to the pulse. The results indicate that the level of Ca2+ stimulation can be regulated by incubation conditions prior to the pulse and, to some extent, by field strength and pulse duration. The level of electrical stimulation influenced oocyte Ca2+ response, activation, and parthenogenetic development.
authors.affiliation: GenMark, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah 84108.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Collas
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fissore
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Robl
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Barnes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D008353:Mannitol / Q000494:pharmacology; D008540:Meiosis; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010312:Parthenogenesis
chemical_list: D008353:Mannitol; D002118:Calcium