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The bovine embryo hatches from the zona pellucida through either the embryonic or abembryonic pole

  • Embryo Biology
  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Implantation of the mammalian embryo in the uterus is preceded by escape from the zona pellucida. In some species, hatching from the zona occurs preferentially from one or the other poles of the embryo. The situation for the bovine embryo, in which hatching precedes attachment to the uterus by more than a week, is unclear. The purpose was to describe whether hatching of the bovine embryo from the zona pellucida occurs preferentially from the embryonic or abembryonic pole.

Methods

Bovine blastocysts undergoing hatching were examined by light microscopy (n = 84) and epifluorescence imaging using antibodies for markers of epiblast, hypoblast, and trophectoderm (TE) (n = 26). The location of hatching was classified as being at the embryonic pole, if hatching occurred ipsilateral to the inner cell mass (ICM), or abembryonic, if hatching occurred contralateral to the ICM.

Results

A total of 55% of blastocysts exited the zona pellucida through an opening at the embryonic pole. In these cases, 68% of the cells emerging through the zona pellucida were derived from the ICM. The remainder of blastocysts hatched from an opening either contralateral or to the side of the ICM. In these cases, 87% of hatched cells were TE.

Conclusion

For the bovine embryo, there is nearly equal probability of hatching from the embryonic or abembryonic poles. Given that the surface area of the zona pellucida in contact with the TE overlying the ICM is less than for the remainder of the blastocyst, there is some preference for hatching through the embryonic pole. Thus, the bovine embryo is distinct from the mouse and human, where hatching occurs preferentially at the abembryonic pole.

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Acknowledgements

Verónica Negrón-Pérez was supported by a McKnight Doctoral Fellowship from the Florida Education Fund, Inc. The authors thank owners and employees of Central Beef Packing Co. (Center Hill, FL), Adena Meat Products L.P. (Fort McCoy, FL), and Florida Beef Inc. (Zolfo Springs, FL) for providing ovaries; William Rembert and Eddie Cummings for ovary collection; and Doug Smith and the McKnight Brain Institute Cell Tissue and Analysis Core of the University of Florida for assistance with imaging and processing of confocal microscopy figures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Sciences, D. H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program and Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA

    Verónica M. Negrón-Pérez & Peter J. Hansen

Authors
  1. Verónica M. Negrón-Pérez
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  2. Peter J. Hansen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter J. Hansen.

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Funding

This study was funded by USDA-NIFA AFRI Grant No. 2011-67015-30688 and the L.E. “Red” Larson Endowment.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Grant support

USDA-NIFA AFRI Grant No. 2011-67015-30688.

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Negrón-Pérez, V.M., Hansen, P.J. The bovine embryo hatches from the zona pellucida through either the embryonic or abembryonic pole. J Assist Reprod Genet 34, 725–731 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-017-0933-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-017-0933-3

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