Abstract
Currently, in vitro embryo production (IVP) is successfully commercially applied in cattle. However, the high sensitivity of embryos to cryopreservation in comparison to in vivo (IVD) embryos slows the dissemination of this biotechnology. Reduced cryotolerance is frequently associated with lipid accumulation in the cytoplasm mainly due to in vitro culture conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the lipid composition of biopsied and sexed embryos, produced either in vivo or in vitro from the same Holstein heifers before and after a slow freezing protocol. Lipid extracts were analysed by liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry, which enabled the detection of 496 features. Our results highlighted a lipid enrichment of IVP embryos in triglycerides and oxidised glycerophospholipids and a reduced abundance in glycerophospholipids. The slow freezing process affected the lipid profiles of IVP and IVD embryos similarly. Lysophosphatidylcholine content was reduced when embryos were frozen/thawed. In conclusion, the embryonic lipid profile is impacted by IVP and slow freezing protocols but not by sex. Lysophosphatidylcholine seemed highly sensitive to cryopreservation and might contribute to explain the lower quality of frozen embryos. Further studies are required to improve embryo freezability by modulating the lipidome.
Highlights
In vitro embryo production (IVP) is successfully commercially applied in cattle
The final objective of this approach will be to have an interventional action to improve the lipid profile of in vitro embryos. This first step described the differences in embryo lipid profile according to the origin, the freezing/thawing process and the sex
Our results suggested that embryo lipid profile is mainly impacted by in vitro culture protocols and by the slow freezing process but not by the sex of the embryos
Summary
In vitro embryo production (IVP) is successfully commercially applied in cattle. The low pregnancy rates reported following the transfer of biopsied and frozen in vitro produced embryos, averaging 20% after 60 days of gestation (50% when they were freshly transferred), led to excessive extra-costs and losses of elite embryos, limiting the widespread use of this approach and the achievable annual genetic p rogress[2,3]. These low pregnancy rates are partly attributable to the lower quality of in vitro produced embryos compared to those produced in vivo[4,5,6].
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