Viable offspring derived from cryopreserved haploid rabbit parthenotes

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Biology
• Cryobiology
• Developmental Biology

Background:

• Cryopreservation is crucial for long-term storage of biological materials.
• Parthenogenetic embryos offer a potential avenue for preserving female gametic material.
• Previous methods for preserving rabbit female gametes have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of cryopreserving female parthenogenetic haploid embryos in rabbits.
• To assess the viability and developmental potential of cryopreserved parthenogenetic embryos after thawing.
• To determine the feasibility of generating live offspring from cryopreserved rabbit parthenotes.

Main Methods:

• Rabbit haploid parthenotes were produced via electroactivation and in vitro culture to the 32-cell stage.
• Parthenotes underwent slow-freezing cryopreservation.
• Blastomeres from thawed parthenotes served as nuclear donors for reconstructed diploid zygotes.
• Nuclear transfer was performed into enucleated fertilized oocytes.

Main Results:

• 38 out of 87 reconstructed zygotes developed to the hatched blastocyst stage in vitro.
• Viable offspring were obtained from 5 out of 7 cryopreserved haploid morulae.
• Up to three live hemiclone offspring were produced from a single thawed parthenote.

Conclusions:

• Cryopreservation of rabbit parthenogenetic haploid embryos is a successful method for long-term storage.
• This technique preserves the rabbit female gametic endowment for future reproductive applications.
• The study demonstrates the potential for generating viable hemiclone offspring from cryopreserved embryos.