SMAP2 is an Arf GAP and modulates clathrin-coated vesicle formation. SMAP2-deficient male mice exhibited globozoospermia due to acrosome deformation. In SMAP2(−/−) spermatids, budding of proacrosomal vesicles from the TGN was distorted and clathrin traffic–related molecules such as CALM and syntaxin2 were mislocated.

Abstract. Assessment of the developmental ability of oocytes following freezing and thawing is an important step for optimizing oocyte cryopreservation techniques. However, the in vitro fertilization of frozen-thawed mouse oocytes is often inefficient because of incomplete capacitation of spermatozoa in the absence of surrounding cumulus cells. This study was undertaken to determine whether the oocyte cryopreservation efficiency of different strains of mice could be assessed from the development of oocytes following parthenogenetic activation and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Oocytes were collected from hybrid (C57BL/6 × DBA/2) F1 or inbred (C57BL/6J, C3H/HeN, DBA/2J and BALB/cA) strains and were vitrified in a solution containing ethylene glycol, DMSO, Ficoll and sucrose. In the first series of experiments, oocytes were activated parthenogenetically by Sr 2+ treatment after warming. The oocytes from the inbred strains, but not those of the F1 hybrid, were diploidized by cytochalasin treatment to obtain a sufficient number of blastocysts. In all strains tested, parthenogenetic embryos derived from vitrified oocytes developed into blastocysts at rates between 23 and 68%. In the second series of experiments, vitrified oocytes from each strain were injected with homologous spermatozoa after warming. Normal offspring were obtained from all strains at rates between 5 and 26% per embryo transferred. Thus, the feasibility of oocyte cryopreservation protocols can be assessed easily by in vitro development of parthenogenetic embryos or by in vivo development of ICSI embryos. Moreover, the oocytes of these four major inbred strains of mice can be cryopreserved safely for production of offspring. Key words: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), Mouse, Oocyte, Parthenogenetic development, Vitrification (J. Reprod. Dev. 53: [1199][1200][1201][1202][1203][1204][1205][1206] 2007) ryopreservation of embryos and gametes is a major strategy for genetic conservation of mammalian species. In laboratory mice, this technique is also important to preserve invaluable genetic resources from naturally occurring mutant mice and to save costs and space for storage of genetically engineered mice, the number of which is expanding very rapidly. Thanks to intensive technical development during recent decades, mouse oocytes [1,2], spermatozoa [3,4] and embryos [5][6][7] can now be cryopreserved successfully using appropriate methods. However, as most of these

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