<p><i>In vitro</i> production of embryos allows efficient management of herd genetics, reduction of disease impact, and if used in combination with other reproductive technologies it could aid in preserving the threatened genetic diversity of swine. <i>In vitro</i> maturation (IVM) is identified as a deficient step in porcine in vitro production (IVP) of embryo systems, which decreases the overall success of IVP. There are problems encountered in each step of IVP; chromosomal abnormalities and decreased cell numbers in blastocysts during <i>in vitro</i> culturing (IVC), and low monospermic fertilization rates during <i>in vitro</i> fertilization (IVF) may be a result of insufficient IVM. As an addition to maturation media, porcine follicular fluid (pFF) can affect IVM. Estrogen can be found in high concentrations in pFF; possibly contributing to the effects seen when pFF is added to IVM. The objective of this thesis was to investigate the effects of estrogen supplementation during IVM on IVP of porcine embryos.</p> <p>The first objective was to evaluate the <i>in vitro</i> maturation rates of porcine oocytes in two maturation media: protein-free and 10% pFF supplemented. Nuclear maturation of oocytes was evaluated using Lamin/Dapi staining of oocytes matured in protein-free and 10% pFF maturation media to ensure the efficiency of the protein-free media. Protein-free and 10% pFF media mature oocytes at similar rates (91% and 89% respectively).</p> <p>The transcripts within the oocyte can be altered based on the <i>in vitro</i> maturation environment, so the second objective was to observe the expression of four chosen maternal effect genes: Basonuclin-1 (<i>BNC1</i>), Nucleoplasmin 2 (<i>NPM2</i>), Zygote arrest 1 (<i>ZAR1</i>), and Tripartite-motif protein-24 (<i>TRIM24</i>), using oocytes matured in 50 ng/ml, 100 ng/ml, or 1000 ng/ml of estradiol 17-&beta; (E₂), 10% pFF, or protein-free maturation media. Expression of maternal effect genes, was shown by the &Delta;Ct (cycle threshold) values, obtained from the difference between the Ct values of the normalizing gene (<i>GAPDH</i>) and the genes of interest evaluated through QRT-PCR. Values of &Delta;Ct were analyzed in place of fold change to avoid data manipulation. The &Delta;Ct expression of <i>TRIM24</i> in 0 ng/ml E₂ maturation medium and the 10% pFF maturation medium were significantly different (p<0.05) from the non-matured control, the other maternal determinant genes did not differ in their expression under any treatment.</p> <p>We hypothesized that estradiol's effects on IVM would be evident when analyzing cleavage and blastocyst formation rates. Cleavage and blastocyst formation rates were examined following <i>in vitro</i> fertilization of oocytes matured in 100 ng/ml E₂, 10% pFF, or a protein-free maturation medium to investigate the effect of estradiol on IVP embryos. Cleavage rates for the E₂ (n= 252; 60.2%) or 10% pFF (n= 256; 55.7%) additions to the maturation media did not differ (p>0.05) when compared to the protein-free maturation media (n=264; 54.9%). Both 10% pFF and E<syb>2</sub> groups had significantly higher blastocyst formation rates (p&le;0.05) than the protein-free maturation media (n=264; 3.5%), although no statistical difference was observed between the blastocyst formation rates of the 10% pFF (n=256; 12.4%) and E2 (n=252; 14.6%) groups.</o> <p>As a final study, the global gene expression of oocytes matured in a control protein-free media and the protein-free media supplemented with 100 ng/ml E₂ or 10% pFF was investigated using microarray analysis. Genes were not differentially expressed among the matured groups with the outlined threshold values of -2 &ge; log2(fold change) &ge; 2, and adjusted p-value &le;0.05. A total of 16 differentially expressed genes between the non-matured and all matured groups exceeded this threshold. Of these genes, 6 are novel transcribed regions with evidence of being an embryonic EST, and 1 is a novel protein-coding gene. The other genes are FBJ murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog (<i>FOS</i>), Vimentin (<i>VIM</i>), Capthesin C (<i>CTSC</i>), Selenium binding protein 1 (<i>SELENBP1</i>), Poly(A) binding protein cytoplasmic 1 (<i>PABPC1</i>), Tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2 (<i>TFPI2</i>), Cysteine-rich, angiogenic inducer 61 (<i>CYR61</i>), Acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 6 (<i>ACSL6</i>), and Phospholipase A2 group VII (<i>PLA2G7</i>).</p> <p>In conclusion, successful nuclear maturation of oocytes derived of prepubertal gilt abbatoire derived ovaries can be achieved without pFF or hormone supplementation. The expression of maternal determinant genes is not affected in a dose dependant manner, and removal of E₂ or supplementation of pFF during maturation may alter the expression of <i>TRIM24</i> from the non-matured control; where no other maternal effect gene changes through maturation. Estradiol has a similar effect as pFF during <i>in vitro</i> maturation of porcine oocytes as seen by cleavage and blastocyst formation rates. And media does not affect the global gene expression of porcine oocytes, though there is a temporal control of gene expression through maturation.</p>

<p><i>In vitro</i> production of embryos allows efficient management of herd genetics, reduction of disease impact, and if used in combination with other reproductive technologies it could aid in preserving the threatened genetic diversity of swine. <i>In vitro</i> maturation (IVM) is identified as a deficient step in porcine in vitro production (IVP) of embryo systems, which decreases the overall success of IVP. There are problems encountered in each step of IVP; chromosomal abnormalities and decreased cell numbers in blastocysts during <i>in vitro</i> culturing (IVC), and low monospermic fertilization rates during <i>in vitro</i> fertilization (IVF) may be a result of insufficient IVM. As an addition to maturation media, porcine follicular fluid (pFF) can affect IVM. Estrogen can be found in high concentrations in pFF; possibly contributing to the effects seen when pFF is added to IVM. The objective of this thesis was to investigate the effects of estrogen supplementation during IVM on IVP of porcine embryos.</p> <p>The first objective was to evaluate the <i>in vitro</i> maturation rates of porcine oocytes in two maturation media: protein-free and 10% pFF supplemented. Nuclear maturation of oocytes was evaluated using Lamin/Dapi staining of oocytes matured in protein-free and 10% pFF maturation media to ensure the efficiency of the protein-free media. Protein-free and 10% pFF media mature oocytes at similar rates (91% and 89% respectively).</p> <p>The transcripts within the oocyte can be altered based on the <i>in vitro</i> maturation environment, so the second objective was to observe the expression of four chosen maternal effect genes: Basonuclin-1 (<i>BNC1</i>), Nucleoplasmin 2 (<i>NPM2</i>), Zygote arrest 1 (<i>ZAR1</i>), and Tripartite-motif protein-24 (<i>TRIM24</i>), using oocytes matured in 50 ng/ml, 100 ng/ml, or 1000 ng/ml of estradiol 17-&beta; (E₂), 10% pFF, or protein-free maturation media. Expression of maternal effect genes, was shown by the &Delta;Ct (cycle threshold) values, obtained from the difference between the Ct values of the normalizing gene (<i>GAPDH</i>) and the genes of interest evaluated through QRT-PCR. Values of &Delta;Ct were analyzed in place of fold change to avoid data manipulation. The &Delta;Ct expression of <i>TRIM24</i> in 0 ng/ml E₂ maturation medium and the 10% pFF maturation medium were significantly different (p<0.05) from the non-matured control, the other maternal determinant genes did not differ in their expression under any treatment.</p> <p>We hypothesized that estradiol's effects on IVM would be evident when analyzing cleavage and blastocyst formation rates. Cleavage and blastocyst formation rates were examined following <i>in vitro</i> fertilization of oocytes matured in 100 ng/ml E₂, 10% pFF, or a protein-free maturation medium to investigate the effect of estradiol on IVP embryos. Cleavage rates for the E₂ (n= 252; 60.2%) or 10% pFF (n= 256; 55.7%) additions to the maturation media did not differ (p>0.05) when compared to the protein-free maturation media (n=264; 54.9%). Both 10% pFF and E<syb>2</sub> groups had significantly higher blastocyst formation rates (p&le;0.05) than the protein-free maturation media (n=264; 3.5%), although no statistical difference was observed between the blastocyst formation rates of the 10% pFF (n=256; 12.4%) and E2 (n=252; 14.6%) groups.</o> <p>As a final study, the global gene expression of oocytes matured in a control protein-free media and the protein-free media supplemented with 100 ng/ml E₂ or 10% pFF was investigated using microarray analysis. Genes were not differentially expressed among the matured groups with the outlined threshold values of -2 &ge; log2(fold change) &ge; 2, and adjusted p-value &le;0.05. A total of 16 differentially expressed genes between the non-matured and all matured groups exceeded this threshold. Of these genes, 6 are novel transcribed regions with evidence of being an embryonic EST, and 1 is a novel protein-coding gene. The other genes are FBJ murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog (<i>FOS</i>), Vimentin (<i>VIM</i>), Capthesin C (<i>CTSC</i>), Selenium binding protein 1 (<i>SELENBP1</i>), Poly(A) binding protein cytoplasmic 1 (<i>PABPC1</i>), Tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2 (<i>TFPI2</i>), Cysteine-rich, angiogenic inducer 61 (<i>CYR61</i>), Acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 6 (<i>ACSL6</i>), and Phospholipase A2 group VII (<i>PLA2G7</i>).</p> <p>In conclusion, successful nuclear maturation of oocytes derived of prepubertal gilt abbatoire derived ovaries can be achieved without pFF or hormone supplementation. The expression of maternal determinant genes is not affected in a dose dependant manner, and removal of E₂ or supplementation of pFF during maturation may alter the expression of <i>TRIM24</i> from the non-matured control; where no other maternal effect gene changes through maturation. Estradiol has a similar effect as pFF during <i>in vitro</i> maturation of porcine oocytes as seen by cleavage and blastocyst formation rates. And media does not affect the global gene expression of porcine oocytes, though there is a temporal control of gene expression through maturation.</p>