Development of a culture medium (BECM-3) for porcine embryos: effects of bovine serum albumin and fetal bovine serum on embryo development.
Media are available that can deliver modest porcine embryonic development from a single-cell zygote to the blastocyst stage. However, few embryos develop to hatched blastocysts by Day 7 in vitro, indicating deficiencies in media that inhibit early embryonic development. A defined culture medium, Beltsville Embryo Culture Medium (BECM-3), was developed to support porcine zygote development to the blastocyst stage. When fetal bovine serum was added by late Day 5 (late morula/early blastocyst stage), 80% of total embryos cultured from Day 2 developed into hatched blastocysts by Day 8. There was also a significant increase in the mean cell number of blastocysts and hatched blastocysts when culture was performed in BECM-3-based media in the absence of BSA fraction V. These studies provide a chemically defined foundation for elucidating key developmental components of preimplantation pig embryos.
Germplasm and Gamete Physiology Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA. bigjohn@ggpl.arsusda.gov
J R
JR
Dobrinsky
L A
LA
Johnson
D
D
Rath
D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000502:physiology; D002417:Cattle; D003470:Culture Media; D046508:Culture Techniques; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005312:Fetal Blood; D009028:Morula / Q000502:physiology; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013552:Swine / Q000196:embryology*; D015053:Zygote / Q000254:growth & development
D003470:Culture Media; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine