title: Survivin acts as anti-apoptotic factor during the development of bovine pre-implantation embryos.
abstract: Survivin, an inhibitor of apoptotic protein containing a single baculoviral inhibit apoptotic protein repeat domain, is a bifunctional protein that suppresses apoptosis and regulates cell division. Thus, we used double stranded RNA (dsRNA) interference to manipulate survivin expression in bovine embryos and analyze its role in blocking apoptosis and facilitating development of pre-implantation embryos. In vitro fertilized embryos (1-cell) were injected with survivin dsRNA, and expression of survivin mRNA was evaluated by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. To analyze survivin protein expression, we performed immunocytochemistry using a rabbit anti-bovine suvivin antibody. Expression levels of survivin mRNA and protein were decreased in the dsRNA group compared to the sham group. Rates of in vitro blastocyst development were lower in the survivin dsRNA-injected group than in the sham-injected group. Also, the total cell number seen in blastocysts was decreased in the dsRNA group. TUNEL assays of DNA fragmentation indicated an increased apoptotic index in the dsRNA group compared to the sham group. These results indicate that survivin is important for optimal development of bovine blastocysts and confirm that survivin expression suppresses apoptosis of pre-implantation embryos.
authors.affiliation: Maria Infertility Hospital Medical Institute/Maria Biotech, Seoul, and Chungbuk National University, Chungbuk, South Korea. spark@cheju.ac.kr
authors.forename: Sae Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Eun Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kilsoo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Xiang-Shun
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Won Don
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Nam-Hyung
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Se Pill
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jin Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D046149:Embryo Culture Techniques; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D008297:Male; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D034622:RNA Interference; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D053148:Caspase 3