The objective of the Fondecyt (Chilean Fund for Scientific and Technological Development) Project, carried out by Dr. Maria Elena Arias, a researcher at the Center of Excellence of Biotechnology on Reproduction (CEBIOR) of the UFRO, is to evaluate the effect of bovine oocyte activation.

The project is called “Impact of sperm pretreatment in the generation of transgenic bovine embryos using sperm-mediated gene transfer (ICSI-SMGT and IVF-SMGT)” and the objective is to give information about molecular mechanisms that are involved in the division of bovine embryos produced in vitro.

To obtain results, the participating researchers will use a chemical compound for the generation of embryos that act on proteins which control the cell cycle, the intracellular signaling pathways and embryo gene expression.

This new project is based on a former one led by Dr. Ricardo Felmer (CEBIOR) who found out about the success of the chemical compound anisomycin, which is an inhibitor in protein synthesis and oocytes activation after undergoing ICSI and cloning – for in vitro embryo production through these technologies.
Nevertheless, at the moment there is no information available about the capability of this inhibitor to start or promote the development of embryos that are produced by these reproductive technologies.

And this is the challenge of this study, to respond the questions made in the project and to execute an experimental design that includes exogenous activation of oocytes, bovine embryo production through unconventional assisted reproduction techniques and a series of different and modern molecular techniques for their analysis.

“We want to contribute to the knowledge about basic mechanisms in oocyte activation of farm animals and the development of bovine embryos,” Dr. Arias explained.

In addition, the group around the researcher hopes that the results will contribute to the efficiency of bovine embryo production and have a positive impact on it, especially regarding reproduction techniques, such as ICSI and nuclear transfer or cloning.

The results could have a direct impact on others species of farm animals in which exogenous activation of oocytes is used.

Written by: Lorena Espinoza
Vice-rectorate of Research and Postgraduate Affairs