LIM homeobox 8 (Lhx8) is a germ cell-specific transcription factor essential for the development of oocytes during early oogenesis. In mice, Lhx8 deficiency causes postnatal oocyte loss and affects the expression of many oocyte-specific genes. The aims of this study were to characterize the bovine Lhx8 gene, determine its mRNA expression during oocyte development and early embryogenesis, and ev...

Background: The buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is the animal with special production characteristics in producing milk and meat has a critical role in rural industry in Iran. The most problem of this specie is its low reproductive output. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of bovine cumulus co-culture on maturation rate of Buffalo oocyte.Materials and Methods: Ovaries were colle...

Background: Process of oocyte freezing, seriously damages the molecular structure of the oocyte into the life and impair its ability to develop. It seems Oocytes can partially recompense those damages. The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) constitutes the major source of NADPH required for the neutralization of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) is the first ...

Reduced oocyte and embryo quality are currently recognized as key factors in the problem of disappointing fertility in high producing dairy cows, but also in women undergoing assisted reproductive treatment. This review aims to highlight the importance of intrafollicular conditions in the subfertility problem, topical in both bovine and human research. Metabolic disturbances, like a negative en...

High environmental temperatures observed during the hot months of the year reduce fertility in lactating dairy cows. Summer heat stress depression in fertility is a multifactorial problem that affects physiological and cellular functions in several tissues. It has been shown that in addition to compromise follicular development, hormonal secretion, endometrial and embryonic function, heat stres...

Oocyte maturation is known to affect the chances for successful fertilization, embryonic development, establishment of pregnancy and delivery of a live, healthy, and viable offspring. Two-photon laser scanning microscopy (TPLSM) has previously been used to evaluate early embryonic development without a detectable impairment of subsequent development, but has never been applied to assess mammali...

Interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT) is a useful method to preserve endangered species and to study the reprogramming event of a nuclear donor cell by the oocyte. Although several studies of iSCNT using murine cells and bovine oocytes have been reported, the development of murine-bovine iSCNT embryos beyond the 8-cell stage has not been successful. In this paper, we examined the d...

OBJECTIVES We recently demonstrated spatial regionalization of maternal transcripts and proteins within unfertilized ovine oocyte. Here, we investigated the likelihood of oocyte polarity for the first time in bovine. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this experimental study, in vitro matured bovine oocytes were used for manual bisection [into oocyte halve that were near-to (HNS) and far-from (FS) spin...

In vitro production (IVP) of bovine embryos has become a widespread technology implemented in cattle breeding and production. The implementation of genomic selection and systems biology adds great dimensions to the impact of bovine IVP. The physical procedures included in the IVP process can still be improved, and aspects related to the oocyte donor, oocyte maturation and the recipients are add...