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Glycine transport by single human and mouse embryos
M A Hammer1, M Kolajova, M Léveillé
1Human In-Vitro Fertilization Program, Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Human Reproduction (Oxford, England)
|February 3, 2000
Summary
Human and mouse embryos use glycine transporters for osmoregulation. Early human embryos, like mouse embryos, can accumulate glycine in response to osmotic stress, suggesting conserved mechanisms for embryo development.
Area of Science:
- Embryology
- Cell Physiology
- Reproductive Biology
Background:
- Mouse zygotes and early embryos use glycine as an osmolyte, transported via the Gly transporter.
- These embryos possess swelling-activated channels to release osmolytes when cell volume increases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate glycine transport and osmoregulation mechanisms in human cleavage-stage embryos.
- To compare these mechanisms with those previously identified in mouse embryos.
Main Methods:
- Assessed glycine transport in human cleavage-stage embryos using a saturable, sarcosine-inhibitable transporter.
- Examined osmosensitive glycine accumulation in developing mouse and human embryos.
- Recorded swelling-activated currents in spare human eggs to identify ion channel activity.
Main Results:
- Human cleavage-stage embryos exhibit glycine transport via a Gly transporter-like mechanism.
- Early human embryos may accumulate glycine osmotically, similar to mouse embryos.
- Swelling-activated currents, analogous to those in mouse zygotes, were detected in human eggs.
Conclusions:
- Glycine transport and osmoregulation in early human embryos share similarities with mouse embryos.
- The Gly transporter likely mediates glycine uptake in human embryos.
- Conserved osmoregulatory mechanisms are crucial for early human embryo development.
