Nitric oxide (NO) is identified as a signaling molecule involved in many cellular or physiological functions including meiotic maturation and parthenogenetic activation of mammalian oocytes. We observed that nitric oxide donor SNAP was potent to induce parthenogenetic activation in Xenopus eggs. NO-scavenger CPTIO impaired the effects of SNAP, providing evidence for the effects of the latter to...

BACKGROUND In the mouse zygote, DNA methylation patterns are heavily modified, and differ between the maternal and paternal pronucleus. Demethylation of the paternal genome has been described as an active and replication-independent process, although the mechanisms responsible for it remain elusive. Recently, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine has been suggested as an intermediate in this demethylation. ...

Understanding how DNA is packaged in the mammalian sperm cell has important implications for human infertility as well as for the cell biology. Recent advances in the study of mammalian sperm chromatin structure and function have altered our perception of this highly condensed, inert chromatin. Sperm DNA is packaged very tightly to protect the DNA during the transit that occurs before fertiliza...

Over the last three decades biotechnology has advanced to a level where it is generally feasible to make particular changes to the genome, and therefore to the expressed characteristics of living organisms. The product of such a change is called a transgenic or a genetically modified organism (GMO). GMOs are created and/or modified in the laboratory to amplify desired characteristics which are ...

The changes triggered by sperm-induced activation of oocytes, which are required for normal oocyte development, can be mediated by other agents, thereby inducing the parthenogenesis. In this study, we exposed porcine oocytes to 1 mM Ca-EDTA, a metal-ion chelator, at various intervals during 48 hr of in vitro maturation to determine the optimum period of Ca-EDTA treatment for parthenogenetic act...

Initiation of zygotic transcription in mammals is poorly understood. In mice, zygotic transcription is first detected shortly after pronucleus formation in 1-cell embryos, but the identity of the transcribed loci and mechanisms regulating their expression are not known. Using total RNA-Seq, we have found that transcription in 1-cell embryos is highly promiscuous, such that intergenic regions ar...

Abstract Study question What is diploid and euploid frequency of blastocysts derived from tripronuclear zygote (3PN) including a small pronucleus (2.1PN) with NGS SNP analysis? Summary answer Diploid rate the 3PN 2.1PN was 91.3%, in which euploid, aneuploid mosaic embryos were 18.7%, 61.3% 11.3%, respectively. known already A thought to be produced when two sperm enter into same oocyte during v...