title: Bovine immunodeficiency virus in relation to embryos fertilized in vitro.
abstract: The association of bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) with embryos derived by in vitro fertilization from oocytes of experimentally infected heifers or oocytes/embryos exposed to the virus in vitro was investigated. Using a nested-PCR assay, proviral DNA of BIV was not detected in follicular fluid or in embryos derived from BIV-infected donors. In vitro exposure of oocytes to BIV during maturation or insemination with BIV-infected semen resulted in zona pellucida-intact embryos testing negative for BIV provirus. However, exposure of zona pellucida-free day-7 embryos to the virus resulted in a positive BIV assay for 28% of the batches of embryos, suggesting that the zona pellucida has a role in protecting against BIV infection. The presence of BIV in the IVF system had no apparent effect on the development of bovine embryos to the blastocyst stage.
authors.affiliation: Animal Diseases Research Institute, Germplasm Centre of Expertise, Ottawa-Nepean, Ontario, Canada. bielanskia@inspection.gc.ca
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bielanski
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simar
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maxwell
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nadin-Davis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000196:embryology*; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000662:veterinary*; D016087:Immunodeficiency Virus, Bovine / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D016180:Lentivirus Infections / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D011247:Pregnancy