title: Expression of FGF4 mRNA is mediated by mating behaviours in mice.
abstract: In mammals, breeding is preceded by species-specific mating behaviours. In this study, we investigated whether parthenogenetic embryo quality could be improved by mating behaviours in mice. To investigate this hypothesis, female mice were mated with vasectomized Kunming white male mice after superovulation. Oocytes were collected and counted at 16 h after superovulation. The oocytes were then artificially activated by medium containing 10 mM strontium chloride and 5 µg/ml cytochalasin B. Blastocysts were obtained by cultivating activated oocytes in vitro. Expression levels of reprogramming transcription factors (i.e. Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc) in oocytes, apoptosis-related genes (i.e. Bax, Bcl2 and c-Myc) in cumulus cells and pluripotency-related transcription factors (i.e. Oct4, Nanog and FGF4) in blastocysts were analysed in samples collected from mated and unmated mice. Additionally, developmental competence of parthenogenetic embryos was used to assess following fibroblast growth factor 4 (FGF4) treatment. The results showed that the formation rate of blastocysts in unmated mice was significantly higher than that in mated mice (p < 0.05). Embryo development was primarily blocked at the eight-cell stage in mated mice; however, the blastocyst formation rate did not differ significantly between groups after the addition of 25 ng/ml FGF4 to the medium at the four-cell stage (p > 0.05). Moreover, the expression of the reprogramming factor Sox2 was significantly different in oocytes collected from mated versus unmated mice. Taken together, our results demonstrated that mating behaviours influenced embryonic development in vitro by decreasing FGF4 expression.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Xing-Rong
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Yan-hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xiao-min
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Ji-Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Li-Wen
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fu-Lin
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jin-Lian
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.forename: Yu-Sen
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000378:metabolism*; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005260:Female; D051519:Fibroblast Growth Factor 4 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D000090062:Kruppel-Like Factor 4; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009865:Oocytes / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal
chemical_list: C496446:Fgf4 protein, mouse; D051519:Fibroblast Growth Factor 4; C000715468:Klf4 protein, mouse; D000090062:Kruppel-Like Factor 4; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors; C527783:Sox2 protein, mouse