Bioscientifica Proceedings

The extensive use of embryo technologies has emphasized the need for assessing embryo quality by morphological techniques, such as transmission electron microscopy, immunocytochemistry for confocal laser scanning microscopy and fluorescence in situ hybridization. By a combination of these techniques, it has been possible to demonstrate: (i) that rRNA gene activation, as monitored by embryonic nucleolar development, is comparable in bovine embryos developed in vivo...

The expression and localization of selected growth factor systems and extracellular matrix (ECM) components that may influence oocyte maturation and fertilization within the mammalian oviduct are reported. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) systems could be detected by use of RT–PCR, RNase protection assay (RPA) and immunohistochemistry in bovine follicles, bovine cumulus–oocyte complexes (COC) and bovine and marmoset oviduct...

Abstract. The efficiency of milk production in pasture-based systems is heavily influenced by calving pattern, necessitating excellent reproductive performance in a short breeding season. Where grazed pasture is the major component of the diet, cows are underfed relative to their intake potential. A number of studies have identified body condition score measurements that are related to likelihood of both submission and conception. In general, fertility variabl...

The resumption of ovarian follicular development during lactation and after weaning in sows is a complex process that ultimately determines rebreeding efficiency of sows. Ovarian follicular development before weaning is heterogeneous because multiple patterns of development are observed when individual sows are compared. Sows can have relatively inactive ovaries before weaning with follicles of < 2 mm in diameter. Other sows have nonovulatory follicular waves in which...

Despite the great potential of sperm technologies such as sperm cryopreservation and sperm sex sorting for the improvement of different aspects of swine production, artificial insemination with fresh or stored semen is currently the only sperm technology used at a commercial scale in the pig industry. The lower reproductive performance associated with the use of these sperm technologies is the reason for such limited use. Since optimal characteristics are required for su...

A technology that allows for manipulating of oestrus and ovulation, and would then also allow for fixed-time insemination, can be of great benefit for swine farms that operate using sow batch management due, at least in part, to savings in labour and the production of large batches of evenly developed pigs. Thanks to the current knowledge on endocrine regulation of follicle development and ovulation, and the availability of numerous reproductively active substances such ...

Abstract unavailable© 2009 Society for Reproduction and Fertility...

The autocrine and paracrine role of the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and epiderrnal growth factor (EGF)-related peptides in pig ovary are reviewed. For convenience, each of these regulatory systems is divided into several interactive components: regulated expression of the growth factors, growth factor reception at the cell surface and intracellular action of the growth factors. In addition, the concept of regulated bioavailability and targeting of growth factors in...

Manipulation of the pig genome is currently restricted to the random insertion of new DNA using pronuclear microinjection. This method suffers from a number of inherent limitations, the majority of which result from the inability to control the site at which the transgene becomes integrated. These drawbacks, together with the need to be able to target existing genes, will result in the replacement of pronuclear injection by new methods that have the capability to direct i...

With the advent of next generation sequencing platforms (RNA-seq), transcriptional profiling permits the characterization of millions of RNAs from even the most limiting samples like early embryos. High-throughput RNA-seq can generate over 600 gigabases (Gb) in a single sequencing run, providing a near-complete record of all of the genes expressed in a sample at the time of collection. Condensing and finding coherence in the immense amount of raw data generated by transc...