An animal-vegetal axis exists in the unfertilized eggs of the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi. The first phase of ooplasmic segregation brings the egg cortex to the vegetal pole very soon after fertilization. In the present study, when 5-8% of the egg cytoplasm in the vegetal pole region was removed between the first and second phase of segregation, most embryos exhibited failure of gastrulation, ...

Kif2a is a member of the kinesin-13 microtubule depolymerases, which tightly regulate microtubule dynamics for many cellular processes. We characterized Kif2a depletion in Xenopus animal caps and embryos. Kif2a depletion generates defects in blastopore closure. These defects are rescued by removing the animal cap, suggesting that Kif2a-depleted animal caps are not compliant enough to allow gast...

In vitro maturation and fertilization of cattle oocytes and subsequent in vitro culture of zygotes and embryos is discussed in the context of recent encouraging data. Mass production of embryos produced in this way in the future will have a great impact on animal production and animal breeding plans, for example the so-called MO-ET (multiple ovulation and embryo transfer) plan which aims at est...

We have shown in defect experiments that an 8-cell embryo of Xenopus laevis consists of three kinds of cells, that is, animal, vegetal dorsal and vegetal ventral cells, and that cells of different kinds are distinctly different in their developmental capacity. Complete pattern formation occurs in any defect embryo which contains at least two animal, one vegetal dorsal and one vegetal ventral ce...

Alternative phenotypes are discrete phenotypic differences that develop in response to both genetic and environmental cues. Nutritive embryos, which arrest their development to serve as nutrition for their viable siblings, are an example of an alternative developmental phenotype found in many animal groups. Females of the marine snail, Crepidula navicella, produce broods that consist mainly of ...

Due to economical and scientific limitations, sheep embryo reproductive technologies are less commercially applied than in other animal species. However, it is very clear that, in the near future, those techniques are expected to have a central role in animal production as a consequence of genetic and reproductive demands. One drawback is that results obtained after sheep embryo cryopreservatio...

The welfare of farm animals is a hotly debated issue today. There are few technical materials available focused on hatcheries that address and incorporate practices adopting the level required by civil society. However, about 33% production period broiler chicken occurs hatchery. Recent studies have shown day-old chick has points need to be improved. Technical standards indicate process should ...