Follistatin (FST), a member of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily, has been identified as an inhibitor of follicle-stimulating hormone. Previous studies showed that it plays an important role in animal reproduction. Therefore, this study aims to investigate its effect on the maturation of buffalo oocytes in vitro, and the underlying mechanism of FST affecting oocyte maturation was also explored in buffalo cumulus cells. Results showed that FST was enriched in the ovary and expressed at different stages of buffalo ovarian follicles as well as during oocyte maturation and early embryo development. The FST expression level was up-regulated in MII buffalo oocytes compared with the GV stage (p < .05). To study the effects of FST on buffalo oocytes' maturation and early embryonic development, we added the pcD3.1 skeleton vector and PCD3.1-EGFP-FST vector into the maturation fluid of buffalo oocytes, respectively. It was demonstrated that FST promoted the in vitro maturation rate of buffalo oocytes and the blastocyst rate of embryos cultured in vitro (p < .05). By interfering with FST expression, we discovered that FST in cumulus cells plays a crucial role in oocyte maturation. Interference with the FST expression during the buffalo oocyte maturation did not affect the first polar body rate of buffalo oocyte (p > .05). In contrast, the location of mitochondria in oocytes was abnormal, and the cumulus expansion area was reduced (p < .05). After parthenogenetic activation, the cleavage and blastocyst rates of the FST-interfered group were reduced (p < .05). Furthermore, RT-qPCR was performed to investigate further the underlying mechanism by which FST enhances oocyte maturation. We found that overexpression of FST could up-regulate the expression level of apoptosis suppressor gene Bcl-2 and TGF-β/SMAD pathway-related genes TGF-β, SMAD2, and SMAD3 (p < .05). In contrast, the expression levels of SMAD4 and pro-apoptotic gene BAX were significantly decreased (p < .05). The FST gene could affect buffalo oocyte maturation by regulating the oocyte mitochondria integrity, the cumulus expansion, cumulus cell apoptosis, and the expression levels of TGF-β/SMAD pathway-related genes.

试验旨在对水牛pri-miR-16b基因进行克隆并构建腺病毒表达载体,且对水牛miR-16b及其预测靶基因进行生物信息学分析,为研究其在水牛卵母细胞成熟过程中的作用奠定基础.利用RT-PCR技术从水牛卵巢基因组中扩增pri-miR-16b基因,采用同源重组的方法构建pDC316-mCMV-EGFP-pri-miR-16b质粒;利用BLAST程序进行同源性分析,Mega 7.0构建系统进化树,ViennaRNA Web Services预测pre-miR-16b的二级结构.对腺病毒质粒与腺病毒骨架质粒pBHGloxdelE13cre进行包装,经过3次扩增获得含有pri-miR-16b的腺病毒颗粒,将获得的病毒颗粒命名为Ad-miR-16b,并进行病毒滴度测定;利用Ad-miR-16b感染水牛卵丘细胞,实时荧光定量PCR检测miR-16b在卵丘细胞中的表达情况.利用TargetScan对miR-16b进行靶基因预测,对预测的靶基因进行KEGG通路富集.结果 显示,试验成功克隆水牛pri-miR-16b序列,通过比对发现与牛的序列相似性分别为100％,与其他物种同源性较高,和黄牛的亲缘关系最近.ViennaRNA Web Services预测结果显示,pre-miR-16b的二级结构具有典型的单一茎环结构.试验成功获得Ad-miR-16b腺病毒颗粒,病毒滴度为3.367×1010 GFU/mL,感染卵丘细胞后,实时荧光定量PCR检测发现miR-16b的表达量极显著升高(P＜0.01).对miR-16b预测的1 394个靶基因进行KEGG通路富集分析,发现miR-16b可能主要通过调控卵丘细胞中MAPK、TGF-β及PI3K/AKT等74条信号通路进而在卵母细胞成熟过程中发挥作用.

Theca cells (TCs) play a key role in follicular growth and atresia. TCs synthesize androgens that act as substrate for granulosa cells (GCs) aromatization to estrogens needed for oocyte maturation. However, the effects of TCs in the form of conditioned medium on in vitro maturation (IVM) and developmental competence of buffalo oocytes remain unclear. In the present study, we examined the impacts of TC-conditioned medium (TCCM) on maturation efficiency and embryo development of buffalo oocytes after parthenogenic activation (PA). Our results showed that TCCM that was collected on day 2 and added to IVM medium at a 20% proportional level (2 days & 20%) exerted no significant effect on IVM rate (43.06% vs. 44.71%), but significantly (p < .05) enhanced embryo development (oocyte cleavage, 80.93% vs. 69.66%; blastocyst formation, 39.85% vs. 32.84%) of buffalo oocytes after PA compared with the control group. However, monolayer TC significantly (p < .05) promoted both maturation efficiency (48.84% vs. 44.53%) and embryo development (oocyte cleavage, 80.39% vs. 69.32%; blastocyst formation, 35.38% vs. 29.25%) of buffalo oocytes after PA compared to that in the control group. Furthermore, TCs secreted some testosterone into the conditioned medium, which significantly (p < .05) promoted the expression levels of oestrogen synthesis-related genes (CYP11A1, CYP19A1 and 17 beta-HSD) in buffalo cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs). Our study indicated that TCCM (2 days & 20%) did not significantly affect IVM efficiency, but enhanced embryo developmental competence of oocytes after PA principally by stimulating the secretion of testosterone and facilitating estradiol synthesis of buffalo COCs.

旨在利用Admax系统构建miRNA-155的腺病毒表达载体,获得含有miR-155的腺病毒颗粒,同时对miR-155的预测靶基因进行生物信息学分析,为研究水牛卵丘细胞中miRNA-155的功能奠定基础.根据GenBank中牛的序列,通过RT-PCR扩增得到pri-miRNA-155序列,并连接到腺病毒载体pDC316-mCMV-EGFP,测序并进行生物信息学分析.将pDC316-mCMV-EGFP-pri-miRNA-155与pBHGloxdelE13cre在HEK-293细胞中包装获得Ad-miRNA-155病毒颗粒,感染水牛卵丘细胞后,利用RT-qPCR技术检测miRNA-155及部分靶基因表达量.TargetScan网站预测获得miRNA-155的靶基因,并利用KOBAS 3.0对预测靶基因进行GO和KEGG富集分析.结果 表明,成功构建腺病毒重组载体pDC316-mCMV-EGFP-pri-miRNA-155,水牛pre-miR-155与黄牛、马、家兔、原鸡、猕猴、狼、树鼩的同源性均达95％以上,且miR-155在进化过程中高度保守.Ad-miR-155感染水牛卵丘细胞后,miR-155的表达水平显著上升(P＜0.01),预测靶基因Wee1、CD44、TRPS1表达水平显著降低(P＜0.01).最后对miR-155预测靶基因进行生物信息学分析发现,miR-155可能通过PI3K-AKT、mTOR及MAPK等信号通路作用于卵丘细胞进而调控水牛卵母细胞体外成熟.

At present, many three-dimensional (3D) culture systems have been reported, improving the oocyte quality of in vitro maturation (IVM), yet the mechanism still needs to be further explored. Here we examined the effects of a new self-made 3D glass scaffold on buffalo oocyte maturation; meanwhile, the underlying mechanism on buffalo oocyte maturation was also detected. Compared to the two-dimensional (2D) glass dish culture, results revealed that the 3D culture can improve the first polar body rate of oocytes, subsequent cleavage and blastocysts rate of parthenogenetic activation embryos (p < .05). The extracellular matrix-related proteins COL1A1, COL2A1, COL3A1, FN and cell connection-related proteins N-cadherin, E-cadherin, GJA1 were found higher in cumulus cells of 3D culture. Moreover, in cumulus cells, proteins of the PI3K/AKT pathway reported being regulated by FN and E-cadherin including PI3K P85 and p-AKT were also higher in 3D culture. Furthermore, proapoptosis proteins P53, BAX, caspase-3 were lower in both cumulus cells and oocytes in 3D culture, while proteins PCNA and BCL2 showed the opposite result. Results also showed that the apoptosis was inhibited, and the proliferation was enhanced in cumulus cells of 3D culture. Finally, the cumulus expansion-related genes HAS2, CD44, HMMR, PTX3, PTGS2 were found higher in cumulus cells of 3D culture. Taken together, the 3D culture could promote oocyte maturation by regulating proteins correlated with the ECM, cell connection and PI3K/AKT pathway, inhibiting the apoptosis of cumulus cells and oocytes, enhancing the proliferation of cumulus cells and the cumulus expansion.