BACKGROUND Oocyte maturation and preimplantation embryo development are controlled by array of genes that are post-transcriptionally regulated by microRNAs. With respect to this, previously, we identified altered expression of microRNA-130b (miR-130b) during oocyte maturation. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of miR-130b in bovine granulosa and cumulus cell function, oocyte maturation and...

Background: Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been shown to influence fertility and endocrinology of reproduction and metabolic activity in many species. In dairy cows, we and others have shown changes in steroid and metabolic hormones and prostaglandins leading to alteration of ovarian activity and uterine function. These can influence fertility by changes in folliculogenesis cyclicity ...

Endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) levels are regulated by both biosynthesis and catabolism of the hormone. ABA 8'-hydroxylase is considered to be the key catabolic enzyme in many physiological processes. We have previously identified that four members of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) CYP707A gene family (CYP707A1 to CYP707A4) encode ABA 8'-hydroxylases, and that the cyp707a2 mutants showe...

Increasing infertility is one of the most serious health problems today. Over past few years, we have had opportunity to follow progress technologies focused on production embryos in vitro (i.e., fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection, genetic engineering, or somatic cell nuclear transfer. Oocyte maturation important processes vitro. Despite recent this field, developmental competen...

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of bovine follicular fluid proteins (bFF) and their differently charged groups as maturation media supplements for in vitro embryo development. bFF was obtained by aspiration from large healthy follicles (4-10 mm in diameter) and was precipitated by 30-50% (NH4)2SO4. The precipitated protein was fractionated into basic and acidic fractions...

Background Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOs) is one of the most common causes of infertility in women of reproductive age. Currently, one of the best therapeutic options for PCOs patients is ICSI. Moreover, IVM can be a useful technique for women with PCOs who are at the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). On the other hand, the oocyte quality can be a determining factor for outc...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding a combination of insulin, transferrin and selenium (ITS) and l-ascorbic acid (AA) during in vitro maturation (IVM) and in vitro culture (IVC) on in vitro embryo production. To verify the effect of the supplements, cleavage and blastocyst rates, embryo size and total cell number were performed. Embryonic development data, embryo size cat...

Background: The objectives of a series of studies undertaken was to improve farm animal reproductive efficiency in terms of embryo production efficiency, conception rate and litter size by immunoneutralization of inhibin in conjunction with other conventional reproductive techniques. Materials and Methods: A recombinant porcine inhibin alpha-subunit mature peptide was produced by mass scale and...

alpha-Solanine and alpha-chaconine are two naturally occurring steroidal glycoalkaloids in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), and solanidine-N-oxide is a corresponding steroidal aglycone. The objective of this research was to screen potential cyto-toxicity of these potato glycoalkaloids using bovine oocyte maturation, in vitro fertilization techniques and subsequent embryonic development as the in v...

Recent studies have suggested that leptin plays an important role in reproduction. Ob-R is expressed in the murine embryo, and is suggested to play a role in embryo development, although contradictory results have been reported. In the present study, Ob-R expression was observed both at the mRNA and protein levels in porcine early embryos. We have also demonstrated that leptin is produced in th...