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Updated: May 5, 2026
Transcriptome Profiling of In-Vivo Produced Bovine Pre-implantation Embryos Using Two-color Microarray Platform
Published on: January 30, 2017
Rapidly cleaving bovine two-cell embryos have better developmental potential and a distinctive mRNA pattern
Ernesto Orozco-Lucero1, Isabelle Dufort, Claude Robert
1Faculté des Sciences de l'Agriculture et de l'Alimentation, Département des Sciences Animales, Pavillon INAF, Centre de Recherche en Biologie de la Reproduction (CRBR), Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
Early-cleaving mammalian embryos show higher blastocyst development rates. Gene expression analysis revealed distinct mRNA profiles in early versus late two-cell stage embryos, highlighting roles in cell cycle and DNA repair for successful development.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Mammalian embryo development is crucial for reproductive success.
- Rapid progression to the two-cell stage in vitro correlates with higher blastocyst potential.
- Understanding the molecular differences between early and late cleaving embryos is key to improving in vitro fertilization outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To segregate bovine embryos based on zygotic cleavage timing (early vs. late two-cell stage).
- To compare global mRNA levels between early and late cleaving bovine embryos.
- To identify molecular pathways influencing preimplantation development and blastocyst formation.
Main Methods:
- In vitro fertilization and subsequent culture of bovine embryos.
- Separation of embryos into early (≤29.5 hpi) and late (46 hpi) two-cell stage groups.
- Microarray analysis for global mRNA profiling and quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR (RT-qPCR) for specific transcript validation.
Main Results:
- Early cleaving embryos exhibited significantly higher blastocyst rates (46.1%) compared to late cleavers (6.1%).
- Microarray analysis identified 774 and 594 differentially expressed probes in early and late cleavers, respectively.
- Key molecular functions identified include cell cycle regulation, gene expression, RNA processing, and DNA damage response.
Conclusions:
- Zygotic cleavage timing is a critical determinant of bovine embryo developmental potential.
- Distinct transcriptomic profiles in early versus late cleaving embryos underscore the importance of cell-cycle regulation and DNA damage response pathways.
- These findings provide insights into molecular mechanisms governing successful mammalian preimplantation development.
