The effects of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor on the in vitro matured porcine oocyte transcriptome

It is well documented that oocytes from small antral follicles are less competent than those derived from large follicles, and we have previously shown that glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) enhances developmental competence in oocytes from antral follicles. Exactly how GDNF effects this change and if it depends on the stage of oocyte development is currently unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the transcriptomic effects of follicle size and GDNF on the in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes. Microarray analysis uncovered differentially expressed transcripts among in vitro-matured porcine oocytes from different-size antral follicles, in the absence or presence of GDNF. Oocytes isolated from small follicles showed a lower state of maturation than those from large follicles, with several transcripts associated with meiotic arrest. Addition of GDNF to the culture media had effects that depended on the stage of the follicle from which the oocyte was isolated, with those from small follicles showing decreased expression of genes associated with acetyltransferase activity while those from large follicles showed decreased metabolic activity. In summary, our results revealed considerable differences between the transcriptomes of small- and large-follicle-derived oocytes. Furthermore, GDNF affects the developmental competence of oocytes in follicle-stage dependent manner. Thus, improving our understanding of the requirements for successful in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes will inform current reproductive technologies, with implications for the future of animal and human health.