title: Apoptosis-independent poor morphology of bovine embryos produced by multiple ovulation.
abstract: In multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) programmes in cattle, a considerable number of morphologically poor-quality embryos continue to be produced; this is one of the limiting factors of the technique. Apoptosis has often been implicated in developmental arrest and fragmentation; these are regarded as poor traits of embryonic quality in mammalian pre-implantation embryos. In the present study, apoptosis was assessed in morphologically poor-quality embryos in comparison with good-quality embryos that were recovered from a MOET programme. Retarded embryos (two to 16 cell stage), morulae with severe fragmentation and morphologically good-quality morulae recovered from superstimulated cows at day 7 post-insemination were subjected to TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) and Hoechst staining. Cell nuclei that showed both TUNEL staining and apoptotic morphology were considered to be apoptotic. Apoptotic index (AI) was calculated as the percentage of apoptotic cells per embryo. Fifteen of 17 retarded embryos and 10 of 15 morphologically poor-quality morulae did not show signs of apoptosis. The mean AIs in the morphologically poor-quality embryos (two to 16 cell stage, 2.2%; poor morulae, 1.3%) were as low as that in the good-quality embryos (2.9%). These results suggest that another mode of developmental arrest and/or fragmentation that is independent of apoptosis occurs in morphologically poor-quality embryos recovered from MOET programmes.
authors.affiliation: Livestock Farm of Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyo-Tamba, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. shunta@kais.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Prendes
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alonso-Montes
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Díez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitagawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gómez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002417:Cattle / Q000196:embryology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000662:veterinary*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling / Q000662:veterinary; D009028:Morula / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D013480:Superovulation / Q000502:physiology*