title: Cross species fertilization and development investigated by cat sperm injection into mouse oocytes.
abstract: The use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in model animals is a powerful approach for the study of species-specific fertilization processes and multiploidy embryogenesis. In this study, we examined the fertilization process in mouse oocytes following injection of a single mouse or cat sperm, two mouse spermatozoa or mouse and cat spermatozoa. These treatments did not affect histone H3K9 acetylation or methylation, although the pattern of DNA methylation differed following the injection of cat sperm. Immunocytochemical staining revealed that sperm chromatin was normally incorporated with female mouse chromatin following any of the four injection scenarios. Furthermore, metaphase was successfully entered to reach a normal two-cell stage, and cell division could even persist to produce blastocyst stage embryos. In addition, both mouse and cat Pou5l and Nanog mRNA were expressed in the hybrid embryos. These results suggest that, although epigenetic modification of DNA is affected by the sperm injection treatment, fertilization and cleavage occur in a non-species-specific manner. In addition, despite abnormal division of the chromosomes, intra- and inter-species ICSI produced embryos that could develop into blastocysts.
authors: Department of Animal Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, South Korea.
authors: Yong-Nan
authors: YN
authors: Xu
authors: Xiang-Shun
authors: XS
authors: Cui
authors: Shao-Chen
authors: SC
authors: Sun
authors: Yong-Xun
authors: YX
authors: Jin
authors: Nam-Hyung
authors: NH
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D002843:Chromatin / Q000502:physiology*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006657:Histones / Q000502:physiology; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008745:Methylation; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000662:veterinary*; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; C475540:Nanog protein, mouse; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; C494174:Pou5f1 protein, mouse; D012313:RNA