Biopolym. Cell. 1997; 13(2):161-167.
Molecular Mechanisms of Differentiation
Factors affecting readiness of mouse blastocysts for implantation
1Vagyna I. N., 1Evsikov S. V., 1Solomko A. P.
  1. Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, NAS of Ukraine
    150, Akademika Zabolotnoho Str., Kyiv, Ukraine, 03680

Abstract

Mechanisms of cell number regulation in mouse blastocysts have been investigated using embryo transfers into the oviducts of pseudopregnant Day 0 females. It was shown that the retarded after in vitro culture embryos are overtaking in their cell number the in vivo developed embryos during the period of implantation delay. Studies on cell numbers of blastocysts developed from one blastomere of 2-cell embryo, and experimentally produced tetraploids, demonsrate that blastocysts are entering the pre-implantation diapause during the 8-th cell cycle. This process does not depend upon absolute cell number or number of cell divisions. Blastocysts, which developed from the half-embryos with doubled cytoplasm content, had on average 70.5±2.4 cells. This observation proves that blastocyst entering to the diapause depend upon reaching of definite nucleo-cytoptasmic ratio. It seems that the readiness of blastocysts for implantation depends on two factors, number of cell cycles and nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio.

References

[1] McLaren A. A study of balstocysts during delay and subsequent implantation in lactating mice. J Endocrinol. 1968;42(3):453-63.
[2] Kaufman MH, Barton SC, Surani MA. Normal postimplantation development of mouse parthenogenetic embryos to the forelimb bud stage. Nature. 1977;265(5589):53-5.
[3] Bergstrom S. Experimentally delayed implantation. Methods in Mammalian Reproduction. Ed. J. C. Daniel, Jr. New York: Acad, press, 1978: 419-35.
[4] Papaioannou VE. Diapause of mouse blastocysts transferred to oviducts of immature mice. J Reprod Fertil. 1986;76(1):105-13.
[5] McLaren A, Michie D. Studies on the transfer of fertilized mouse eggs to uterine foster-mothers. I. Factors affecting the implantation and survival of native and transferred eggs. J Exp Biol. 1956; 33: 394-416.
[6] Tsunoda Y, McLaren A. Effect of various procedures on the viability of mouse embryos containing half the normal number of blastomeres. J Reprod Fertil. 1983;69(1):315-22.
[7] Whittingham DG. Culture of mouse ova. J Reprod Fertil Suppl. 1971;14:7-21.
[8] Abramczuk J, Solter D, Koprowski H. The beneficial effect EDTA on development of mouse one-cell embryos in chemically defined medium. Dev Biol. 1977;61(2):378-83.
[9] Chatot CL, Ziomek CA, Bavister BD, Lewis JL, Torres I. An improved culture medium supports development of random-bred 1-cell mouse embryos in vitro. J Reprod Fertil. 1989;86(2):679-88.
[10] Latham KE, Solter D, Schultz RM. Acquisition of a transcriptionally permissive state during the 1-cell stage of mouse embryogenesis. Dev Biol. 1992;149(2):457-62.
[11] Barra J, Renard JP. Diploid mouse embryos constructed at the late 2-cell stage from haploid parthenotes and androgenotes can develop to term. Development. 1988;102(4):773-9.
[12] McGrath J, Solter D. Nuclear transplantation in the mouse embryo by microsurgery and cell fusion. Science. 1983;220(4603):1300-2.
[13] Tsunoda Y, Yasui T, Nakamura K, Uchida T, Sugie T. Effect of cutting the zona pellucida on the pronuclear transplantation in the mouse. J Exp Zool. 1986;240(1):119-25.
[14] Hogan B, Constantini F, Lacy E. Manipulating the mouse embryo. A laboratory manual. New York : Cold Spring Harbor Lab., 1986; 350 p.
[15] Pease S, Schroeder AC, Schmidt GH. Production of transgenic mice: acupuncture needle-facilitated embryo transfer to oviduct ampulla. Trends Genet. 1989;5(9):293.
[16] Dyban AP. An improved method for chromosome preparations from preimplantation mammalian embryos, oocytes or isolated blastomeres. Stain Technol. 1983;58(2):69-72.
[17] Marsk L. Developmental precocity after asynchronous egg transfer in mice. J Embryol Exp Morphol. 1977;39:127-37.
[18] Mantalenakis SJ, Ketchel MM. Frequency and extent of delayed implantation in lactating rats and mice. J Reprod Fertil. 1966;12(2):391-4.
[19] Weitlauf HM, Greenwald GS. Survival of blastocysts in the uteri of ovariectomized mice. J Reprod Fertil. 1968;17(3):515-20.
[20] Weitlauf H, Kiessling A, Buschman R. Comparison of DNA polymerase activity and cell division in normal and delayed-implanting mouse embryos. J Exp Zool. 1979;209(3):467-72.
[21] Weitlauf HM. Changes in the rate of translation with reactivation of delayed implanting mouse embryos. J Exp Zool. 1985;236(3):309-12.
[22] Mead RA. Embryonic diapause in vertebrates. J Exp Zool. 1993;266(6):629-41.
[23] Gardner RL, Davies TJ, Carey MS. Effect of delayed implantation on differentiation of the extra-embryonic endoderm in the mouse blastocyst. Placenta. 1988;9(4):343-59.
[24] Evsikov SV, Morozova LM, Solomko AP. The role of the nucleocytoplasmic ratio in development regulation of the early mouse embryo. Development. 1990;109(2):323-8.
[25] Smith R, McLaren A. Factors affecting the time of formation of the mouse blastocoele. J Embryol Exp Morphol. 1977;41:79-92.
[26] Smith RK, Johnson MH. Analysis of the third and fourth cell cycles of mouse early development. J Reprod Fertil. 1986;76(1):393-9.
[27] Copp AJ. Effect of implantational delay on cellular proliferation in the mouse blastocyst. J Reprod Fertil. 1982;66(2):681-5.