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Stress-induced alterations in oocyte transcripts are further expressed in the developing blastocyst
1Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
Molecular Reproduction and Development
|August 26, 2018
Summary
Environmental stressors like heat, phthalates, and inflammation can harm egg cells (oocytes) and affect embryo development. These stresses disrupt maternal transcripts, potentially causing lasting genetic changes in offspring.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Developmental toxicology
- Oocyte biology
Background:
- Oocyte developmental competence is achieved through folliculogenesis, a process where oocytes are vulnerable to environmental stressors.
- Maternal transcripts are crucial for early embryonic development until embryonic genome activation.
- Perturbations in maternal transcripts during oocyte storage can lead to genetic and epigenetic alterations in the developing embryo.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the effects of environmental heat stress, endocrine-disrupting compounds (phthalates), and inflammatory stress (mastitis) on oocyte quality and fertility.
- To highlight the carryover effects of oocyte stress on embryonic development, focusing on maternal transcripts.
- To elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying stress-induced alterations in maternal transcripts and their impact on embryonic development.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies investigating the impact of environmental heat stress, phthalates, and mastitis on oocyte maturation and fertility.
- Analysis of molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in oocyte response to stressors.
- Comparison of stressor-induced alterations in maternal transcripts (nuclear and mitochondrial) and their association with embryonic development.
Main Results:
- Environmental heat stress, phthalates, and mastitis are linked to reduced fertility.
- These stressors can disrupt intracellular and molecular processes within the oocyte, particularly affecting maternal transcripts.
- Stress-induced alterations in maternal transcripts may persist and influence embryonic development post-embryonic genome activation.
Conclusions:
- Stressors can induce alterations in maternal transcripts, impacting oocyte quality and subsequent embryonic development.
- Investigating shared mechanisms of stress-induced alterations, especially concerning maternal transcripts, is crucial.
- Understanding these effects is vital for addressing fertility issues and improving reproductive outcomes.
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