Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Juan P. Cabeza, Juan Camera, Olinda Briski, Minerva Yauri Felipe, Daniel F. Salamone, Andres Gambini
Summary: This study investigates the use of a novel zinc chelator for activating bovine and porcine oocytes. The results show that the zinc chelator can successfully induce blastocyst development in both species, although developmental rates and embryo quality are compromised in bovine compared to calcium-induced embryos. On the contrary, the new concentration and incubation time of the zinc chelator improve developmental rates in porcine without affecting embryo quality. These findings contribute to understanding the role of zinc in oocyte activation and preimplantation embryo development across different mammalian species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Erika E. Paulson, Emily L. Fishman, Richard M. Schultz, Pablo J. Ross
Summary: MicroRNAs play a crucial role in preimplantation embryo development, with their expression increasing during the morula and blastocyst stages. Knockdown of DGCR8 inhibits the expression of embryonically expressed miRNAs and the morula-to-blastocyst transition.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Diane Pelzer, Ludmilla de Plater, Peta Bradbury, Adrien Eichmuller, Anne Bourdais, Guillaume Halet, Jean-Leon Maitre
Summary: Cell fragmentation is a common phenomenon in human preimplantation embryos and is associated with poor prognosis during assisted reproductive technology procedures. This study uses light sheet microscopy imaging to reveal that inefficient chromosome separation due to spindle defects, caused by dysfunctional molecular motors Myo1c or dynein, leads to cell fragmentation during mitosis. The extended exposure of the cell cortex to chromosomes triggers actomyosin contractility and pinches off cell fragments, similar to the process observed during meiosis. This study uncovers the mechanisms underlying cell fragmentation in preimplantation embryos and provides insight into the regulation of mitosis during the maternal-zygotic transition.
Article
Reproductive Biology
Mariana Carolina Fabra, Juan Patricio Anchordoquy, Ana Cristina Carranza-Martin, Nicolas Farnetano, Juan Mateo Anchordoquy, Cecilia Cristina Furnus, Noelia Nikoloff
Summary: In vitro embryo production has great potential for cattle production but the quality of in vitro-produced embryos is lower compared with those produced in vivo. This study investigated the effects of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) supplementation in in vitro culture (IVC) medium on bovine embryo development and cryotolerance. The results showed that ALA supplementation improved blastocyst and hatching rates, as well as embryo quality. ALA also reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in warmed blastocysts after vitrification.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Yasumitsu Masuda, Ryo Hasebe, Yasushi Kuromi, Masayoshi Kobayashi, Kanako Urataki, Mitsugu Hishinuma, Tetsuya Ohbayashi, Ryo Nishimura
Summary: The study utilized optical coherence tomography (OCT) to evaluate the quality of bovine preimplantation embryos and found that OCT imaging can be used to select high-quality embryos for transfer. Results suggest that TE volume may be a key parameter for the evaluation of bovine embryos, indicating the potential of OCT in improving embryo selection for successful pregnancies.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chuan Zhou, Michelle M. Halstead, Amelie Bonnet-Garnier, Richard M. Schultz, Pablo J. Ross
Summary: Using CUT&Tag, researchers profiled histone modifications in bovine oocytes, embryos, and blastocysts to understand gene expression changes during preimplantation development. They found that broad bivalent domains mark developmental genes in oocytes, and repressive marks H3K9me3 and H3K27me3 are present before embryonic genome activation (EGA), suggesting a global transcription repression mechanism. Chromatin accessibility is established before activating marks H3K4me3 and H3K27ac during EGA. Transcription is required for the remodeling process, indicating the insufficiency of maternal products alone. H3K27me3 plays a major role in cellular potency restriction and blastocyst lineage determination.
Article
Reproductive Biology
Zengyou Ma, Haoyi Zheng, Xiaoping Li, Beibei Yu, Hui Peng
Summary: This study investigates the expression, localization, and function of CSNK1A1 in early embryonic development in mice. CSNK1A1 is expressed in multiple mouse tissues, including the ovary, and its highest expression is observed in two-cell-stage embryos. Inhibition or knockdown of CSNK1A1 leads to a decrease in blastocyst formation and embryonic developmental arrest. These findings provide novel insights into the role of CSNK1A1 in early embryonic development.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nor-Shahida Abdul Rahman, Nor-Ashikin Mohamed Noor Khan, Zolkapli Eshak, Mimi-Sophia Sarbandi, Aqila-Akmal Mohammad Kamal, Mastura Abd Malek, Fathiah Abdullah, Maizaton Atmadini Abdullah, Fezah Othman
Summary: Studies have shown that L-glutathione (GSH) supplementation can improve preimplantation development of embryos. This study aims to determine whether GSH supplementation in culture media improves in vitro culture and vitrification outcomes, as observed through embryo morphology and preimplantation development. The results indicate that GSH supplementation can enhance blastocyst formation and decrease ROS levels, improving embryonic cryotolerance.
Article
Developmental Biology
Wilhelm Bouchereau, Luc Jouneau, Catherine Archilla, Irene Aksoy, Anais Moulin, Nathalie Daniel, Nathalie Peynot, Sophie Calderari, Thierry Joly, Murielle Godet, Yan Jaszczyszyn, Marine Pratlong, Dany Severac, Pierre Savatier, Veronique Duranthon, Marielle Afanassieff, Nathalie Beaujean
Summary: In this study, a transcriptome analysis was conducted on rabbit preimplantation embryos, revealing common features between the transcriptome of rabbit epiblast cells and humans/non-human primates. Novel markers for deriving naive pluripotent stem cell lines were identified.
Article
Developmental Biology
Kelsey E. Brooks, Brittany L. Daughtry, Brett Davis, Melissa Y. Yan, Suzanne S. Fei, Selma Shepherd, Lucia Carbone, Shawn L. Chavez
Summary: Embryonic aneuploidy is a complex issue that can lead to developmental problems. The molecular pathways regulating chromosome integrity during the cleavage stage of embryogenesis are still unknown. Research using bovine embryos reveals frequent micro-nucleation of mis-segregated chromosomes during initial mitotic divisions that can undergo various fate, such as fusion, bridge formation, or unilateral inheritance. Lack of syngamy, multipolar divisions, and asymmetric genome partitioning are correlated, and single-cell DNA sequencing shows propagation of non-reciprocal mitotic errors. Depletion of the mitotic checkpoint protein BUB1B results in abnormal nuclear structures, cell divisions, aneuploidy, and dysregulation of the kinase-substrate network. This study sheds light on the causes of karyotypic complexity in mammalian preimplantation development.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiaqiao Zhu, Zhutao Huang, Fan Yang, Min Zhu, Jiangqin Cao, Jiali Chen, Yan Lin, Shuai Guo, Junwei Li, Zongping Liu
Summary: This study demonstrated that maternal cadmium exposure impairs preimplantation embryo development by disturbing epigenetic modification and inducing DNA damage. The exposure to cadmium led to embryo death, fragmentation, and developmental blockade, while affecting histone acetylation and disrupting DNA methylation of H19. Additionally, cadmium increased reactive oxygen species levels and DNA damage, while partly inhibiting gene expression related to DNA repair. Mitochondrial distribution and activity were also increased, contributing to intracellular homeostasis for embryo survival.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sebastian Canovas, Elena Ivanova, Meriem Hamdi, Fernando Perez-Sanz, Dimitrios Rizos, Gavin Kelsey, Pilar Coy
Summary: The study found that in vitro culture affects DNA methylation, and the sex-specific methylation differences in blastocysts vary in embryos from different sources. Methylation differences were more frequent in the first intron than in CpGi in promoters, and sex produced a stronger bias in the results than embryo origin.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Paulina Lipinska, Piotr Pawlak, Ewelina Warzych
Summary: Mammalian embryo development is influenced by several metabolic processes, particularly energy metabolism. The storage of lipids during preimplantation stages may affect the quality of embryos. This study aimed to characterize lipid droplets (LD) during different developmental stages in bovine and porcine embryos, as well as embryos from in vitro fertilization (IVF) and parthenogenetic activation (PA). The results showed that lipid parameters differed between IVF and PA bovine embryos at crucial stages of development, suggesting dysregulation of lipid metabolism in PA embryos. Additionally, bovine embryos exhibited higher lipid content during the early genome activation (EGA) stage and lower lipid content during the blastocyst stage compared to porcine embryos, indicating species-dependent energy demands. Overall, lipid droplet parameters vary significantly among developmental stages, species, and genome origin.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Rajiv C. Mccoy, Michael C. Summers, Abeo Mccollin, Christian S. Ottolini, Kamal Ahuja, Alan H. Handyside
Summary: The combination of meiotic and mitotic aneuploidies leads to the arrest of human embryos in vitro, indicating an increasing reliance on embryonic gene expression at the blastocyst stage.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yingbing Zhang, Ying Yang, Peipei Qiao, Xiyue Wang, Ruiluan Yu, Hongzheng Sun, Xupeng Xing, Yong Zhang, Jianmin Su
Summary: This study demonstrates the significant roles of CHAF1b in preimplantation embryos, possibly through regulating epigenetic modifications and lineage specification.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chengli Fang, Steven J. Philips, Xiaoxian Wu, Kui Chen, Jing Shi, Liqiang Shen, Juncao Xu, Yu Feng, Thomas V. O'Halloran, Yu Zhang
Summary: MerR family transcription factors are able to reshape promoter DNA through clamp-like protein-DNA interactions, promoting productive promoter-polymerase association without canonical protein-protein contacts seen in other activator proteins. These structural and biochemical findings strongly support the DNA distortion paradigm for allosteric transcriptional control by MerR TFs.
NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hunter B. Rogers, Luhan T. Zhou, Atsuko Kusuhara, Emily Zaniker, Saman Shafaie, Benjamin C. Owen, Francesca E. Duncan, Teresa K. Woodruff
Summary: Researchers engineered the first female reproductive tract on a chip (EVATAR) for sex-based ex vivo research, and explored the use of 3D printing technologies to create 3DP microphysiologic platforms. They found potential toxicity in certain 3D-printed resins towards oocytes, underscoring the importance of rigorous evaluation and designation of biocompatible materials for biomedical applications.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Denana Miodragovic, Wenan Qiang, Zohra Sattar Waxali, Zeljko Vitnik, Vesna Vitnik, Yi Yang, Annie Farrell, Matthew Martin, Justin Ren, Thomas O'Halloran
Summary: Patients with triple negative breast cancers have limited treatment options and drug resistance is a major obstacle. Arsenoplatins represent a novel class of anticancer agents with higher cytotoxicities compared to cisplatin.
Article
Oncology
Yuanming Xu, Lucia Campos Carrascosa, Yik Andy Yeung, Matthew Ling-Hon Chu, Wenjing Yang, Ivana Djuretic, Danielle C. Pappas, John Zeytounian, Zhouhong Ge, Valeska de Ruiter, Gabriel R. Starbeck-Miller, James Patterson, Diamanda Rigas, Shih-Hsun Chen, Eugenia Kraynov, Patrick P. Boor, Lisanne Noordam, Michael Doukas, Dave Tsao, Jan N. Ijzermans, Jie Guo, Dirk J. Grunhagen, Joris Erdmann, Joanne Verheij, Martin E. van Royen, Pascal G. Doornebosch, Renny Feldman, Terrence Park, Salah Mahmoudi, Magdalena Dorywalska, Irene Ni, Sherman M. Chin, Tina Mistry, Lidia Mosyak, Laura Lin, Keith A. Ching, Kevin C. Lindquist, Changhua Ji, Luz Marina Londono, Bing Kuang, Robert Rickert, Jaap Kwekkeboom, Dave Sprengers, Tzu-Hsuan Huang, Javier Chaparro-Riggers
Summary: The study engineered a novel immunocytokine, anti-PD1-IL15m, that targets PD1+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes to enhance the efficacy and safety of IL15 in cancer immunotherapy.
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Reproductive Biology
Adelita D. Mendoza, Aaron Sue, Olga Antipova, Stefan Vogt, Teresa K. Woodruff, Sarah M. Wignall, Thomas O'Halloran
Summary: The dynamic flux of zinc is essential for meiotic progression in C. elegans embryos and is a conserved feature of germ cell development in a variety of metazoa.
BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Aaron C. Sue, Sarah M. Wignall, Teresa K. Woodruff, Thomas O'Halloran
Summary: This study investigates the role of zinc transporters in reproductive systems using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model. Phenotypic analysis of mutants reveals that two zinc transporters, ZIPT-2.4 and ZIPT-15, play an important role in reproductive output and gonad development. These findings suggest a complex zinc trafficking network that is crucial for reproductive success.
JOURNAL OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTION AND GENETICS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yu-Ying Chen, Thomas V. O'Halloran
Summary: Zinc is crucial for living organisms, and it has been discovered that the ZNG1 family of GTPases function as metallochaperones, directly transferring zinc to and activating methionine aminopeptidases which play essential roles in protein modification during or after translation.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
David Z. Zee, Christopher P. Singer, Thomas V. O'Halloran
Summary: Hg-199 NMR is a tool used for studying coordination chemistry in biochemical and inorganic complexes. It was traditionally associated with the use of a highly toxic chemical, dimethylmercury, as a reference standard. However, after the tragic death of Dr. Karen Wetterhahn, the community has shifted towards using alternative mercury reference standards to avoid exposure.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yang Yang, Tanya Y. Tian, Teresa K. Woodruff, Benjamin F. Jones, Brian Uzzi
Summary: The changing demographics in science have raised questions about research team diversity and outcomes. This study examines mixed-gender research teams in the medical sciences, analyzing 6.6 million papers published since 2000. The findings show that mixed-gender teams are underrepresented but their publications are more novel and impactful compared to same-gender teams. The study also finds that the gender balance on a team correlates with better performance measures. These patterns hold across medical subfields and persist even after controlling for various factors.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rebecca A. Rasmussen, Suning Wang, Jeannie M. Camarillo, Victoria Sosnowski, Byoung-Kyu Cho, Young Ah Goo, Julius B. Lucks, Thomas O'Halloran
Summary: This study reveals that the zinc-sensing transcription factor Zur in E. coli can up-regulate the expression of ribosomal protein L31 through a double repression cascade, allowing bacteria to respond to host-induced nutrient limiting conditions.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Jingya Qiu, Bihui Xu, Darwin Ye, Diqiu Ren, Shangshang Wang, Joseph L. Benci, Yuanming Xu, Hemant Ishwaran, Jean-Christophe Beltra, E. John Wherry, Junwei Shi, Andy J. Minn
Summary: Qiu et al. demonstrate that chronic interferon (IFN) stimulation in tumor cells establishes an epigenetic signature of inflammatory memory, resulting in elevated levels of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) that sustain immune cell dysfunction. Cancer cells retain effects of prolonged IFN stimulation through the activation of STAT1 and IRF3, maintaining inflammatory memory domains and increasing expression of a subset of ISGs. Inflammatory memory in cancer cells promotes immune dysfunction and resistance to immune checkpoint blockade.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Hideyuki Iwahata, So-Youn Kim, Yuriko Iwahata, Nao Suzuki, Teresa K. Woodruff
Summary: Cancer therapy can cause ovarian insufficiency, and current methods for fertility preservation in female cancer patients are limited. This study investigates the potential protective effects of triiodothyronine (T3) on apoptosis induced by cisplatin and X-ray in mouse ovaries, as well as in breast cancer cells. The findings suggest that T3 is not effective as a fertoprotective agent and its candidacy for fertility preservation should be reconsidered.
JOURNAL OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTION AND GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Optics
Iksung Kang, Ziling Wu, Yi Jiang, Yudong Yao, Junjing Deng, Jeffrey Klug, Stefan Vogt, George Barbastathis
Summary: Noninvasive X-ray imaging of nanoscale objects, such as integrated circuits, requires scanning methods like ptychography and tomography. In this study, Attentional Ptycho-Tomography (APT) is proposed as a machine learning-based approach to reduce scanning time and provide accurate reconstructions. Experimental results demonstrate that APT can significantly reduce data acquisition and computation time from 67.96 hours to 38 minutes while maintaining quality. This physics-assisted and attention-utilizing machine learning framework is expected to find applications in other branches of nanoscale imaging, including materials science and biological imaging.
LIGHT-SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Developmental Biology
Elnur Babayev, Min Xu, Lonnie D. Shea, Teresa K. Woodruff, Francesca E. Duncan
Summary: This study investigates the impact of enzymatic digestion on follicle function and compares follicle collection methods. The results show that mechanical isolation promotes follicle growth and function better, and preserves theca-interstitial cell layer on the outer edge of the follicle. Additionally, the study finds that in the absence of theca-interstitial cells, granulosa cells have the potential to differentiate into androgen-producing cells.
MOLECULAR HUMAN REPRODUCTION
(2022)