Expression pattern of zygote arrest 1 (ZAR1), maternal antigen that embryo requires (MATER), growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) genes in ovine oocytes and in vitro-produced preimplantation embryos

摘要

The expression patterns of four maternal effect genes (MEG), namely zygote arrest 1 (ZAR1), maternal antigennthat embryo requires (MATER), growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15),werendetermined in ovine oocytes and in vitro-produced preimplantation embryos. The existence of ZAR1 and MATER in ovinenspecies has not been reported previously. Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction was performed on germinalnvesicle andIVMMII oocytes, aswell as in in vitro fertilised and cultured two-, four-, eight- and 12/16-cell embryos, morulaenand blastocysts. Quantification of gene expression by real-time polymerase chain reaction showed the highest abundance ofnall transcripts analysed in the immature oocyte. During the following stages of preimplantation development, the mRNAsnexamined exhibited different patterns of expression, but often significant decreases were observed during maturation andnmaternal–embryonic transition. The transcription of the four genes did not resume with activation of the genome.