Characterization of oestrus and timed collection of oocytes in the grey short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica

Baggott, Linda; Davis-Butler, S.; Moore, H. D. M.

doi:10.1530/jrf.0.0790105

Cited by 57 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The stripe-faced dunnart (Sminthopsis macroura) has a gestation period of 10.7 days, giving birth to between one and eight pups that weigh approximately 10 mg (Godfrey 1969;Selwood and Woolley 1991). The laboratory opossum (Monodelphis domestica) has a gestation of 13-14 days, giving birth to eight to 12 pups that weigh 100 mg (Baggott et al 1987;Mate et al 1994). The genome of Monodelphis has now been sequenced and assembled (http://www.ensembl.org, accessed 1 October 2005) and the genome of the tammar wallaby is currently being sequenced (http://kangaroo.genomics.org.au/public, accessed 1 October 2005), promising to reveal new insights into mammalian biology.…”

Section: Gestation: Days Months Yearsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mammalian diversity: gametes, embryos and reproduction

Behringer

Eakin

Renfree

2006

Reprod. Fertil. Dev.

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Abstract. The class Mammalia is composed of approximately 4800 extant species. These mammalian species are divided into three subclasses that include the monotremes, marsupials and eutherians. Monotremes are remarkable because these mammals are born from eggs laid outside of the mother's body. Marsupial mammals have relatively short gestation periods and give birth to highly altricial young that continue a significant amount of 'fetal' development after birth, supported by a highly sophisticated lactation. Less than 10% of mammalian species are monotremes or marsupials, so the great majority of mammals are grouped into the subclass Eutheria, including mouse and human. Mammals exhibit great variety in morphology, physiology and reproduction. In the present article, we highlight some of this remarkable diversity relative to the mouse, one of the most widely used mammalian model organisms, and human. This diversity creates challenges and opportunities for gamete and embryo collection, culture and transfer technologies.

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Section: Gestation: Days Months Yearsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mammalian diversity: gametes, embryos and reproduction

Behringer

Eakin

Renfree

2006

Reprod. Fertil. Dev.

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“…In use are the following terms: proestrus (time of follicle ripening), estrus (around ovulation, copulation and characterized by maximal size and weight of the total genital system), postestrus (luteal phase) and the transitional postluteal met-or diestrus [Hartman, 1923[Hartman, , 1924Hunger, 1983;Baggott et al, 1987;Tyndale-Biscoe and Renfree, 1987]. Depending on the time of the year, the cycle begins with the proestrus, either in continuation of the postluteal or metestrus phase or after a resting period, anestrus.…”

Section: General Remarksmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Monodelphis belongs to the family Didelphidae; it has achieved an increasing importance for biomedical research and is easily kept under laboratory conditions [Fadem et al, 1982;Fadem, 1985;Fadem and Rayve, 1985;Baggott et al, 1987;Philips and Fadem, 1987;Adam et al, 1988;Baker et al, 1990;VandeBerg, 1990;Olson and Winfrey, 1991;Falconnier and Kress, 1992;Selwood and VandeBerg, 1992;Harder et al,1993;Taggart et al, 1993;Jackson and Harder, 1996;Harder and Jackson, 1999;Jackson and Harder, 2000].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in the Epithelium of the Vaginal Complex during the Estrous Cycle of the Marsupial <i>Monodelphis domestica</i>

Regli

Kress²

2002

Cells Tissues Organs

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The vaginal complex of marsupials differs from that of eutherians. Cervices open separately in a sinus vaginalis or cul-de-sac. Two lateral vaginae adjoin the sinus vaginalis and fuse at the level of the urethra opening and form the sinus urogenitalis. During the estrous cycle the vaginal epithelium undergoes a number of specified morphological changes. This paper is the first to describe these changes on an ultrastructural level in a marsupial. Investigations in Monodelphis vagina reveal that a cyclic switch exists between a keratinized and a stratified nonkeratinized epithelium. Keratinization starts during proestrus and reaches its maximum during estrus. In the postestrus, desquamation of the stratum corneum takes place, mostly in two steps. In metestrus one to two additional layers of the now nonkeratinized surface cells are shed into the vaginal lumen. Typical cell structures, such as keratin filaments, keratohyalin and membrane-coating granules, are involved in the keratinization process. Keratohyalin is found in the cytoplasm as well as in the nucleus of stratum granulosum cells, a phenomenon which is known from other parakeratinized epithelia of rapid turnover. Membrane-coating granules, responsible for the permeability barrier between the epithelial cells, are of the nonlamellated type in the nonkeratinized epithelium and produce an amorphous material in the intercellular spaces after extrusion. At periods, however, when the epithelium is keratinized, membrane-coating granules are of the lamellated type and form a lamellated barrier structure after extrusion in the intercellular space. The loss of the protective keratinized layers asks for an additional defense mechanism for the epithelium. The migration of leukocytes through the epithelium predominantly during post- and metestrus and their presence in the vaginal lumen may play a protective role together with the bacterial content.

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“…In animals in which the exact time of birth was not observed (making the time of ovulation less predictable), relatively simple refinements such as noting the skin colour of the newborn pouch young as it changed from bright to dull red then pink, further improved the timing of AI by up to 7 h [6]. In the grey short-tailed opossum, it has been known for some time that exposure to male pheromones in urine induces female breeding activity [52][53][54].…”

Section: Estrus Detection and Female Synchronizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Vaginal cytology could be an alternative strategy to monitor natural cyclicity and determine the time of estrus for AI, and has been reported in several marsupials [52,93,94]. However, this does not overcome the previously mentioned problems associated with frequent animal handling, nor provide a level of accuracy sufficient for the narrow window of insemination.…”

Section: Effects Of Hormone Treatments On Embryo Production and Develmentioning

confidence: 99%

Artificial insemination in marsupials

Rodger¹,

Paris²,

Czarny³

et al. 2009

Theriogenology

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Assisted breeding technology (ART), including artificial insemination (AI), has the potential to advance the conservation and welfare of marsupials. Many of the challenges facing AI and ART for marsupials are shared with other wild species. However, the marsupial mode of reproduction and development also poses unique challenges and opportunities. For the vast majority of marsupials, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding basic reproductive biology to guide an AI strategy. For threatened or endangered species, only the most basic reproductive information is available in most cases, if at all. Artificial insemination has been used to produce viable young in two marsupial species, the koala and tammar wallaby. However, in these species the timing of ovulation can be predicted with considerably more confidence than in any other marsupial. In a limited number of other marsupials, such precise timing of ovulation has only been achieved using hormonal treatment leading to conception but not live young. A unique marsupial ART strategy which has been shown to have promise is cross-fostering; the transfer of pouch young of a threatened species to the pouches of foster mothers of a common related species as a means to increase productivity. For the foreseeable future, except for a few highly iconic or well studied species, there is unlikely to be sufficient reproductive information on which to base AI. However, if more generic approaches can be developed; such as ICSI (to generate embryos) and female synchronization (to provide oocyte donors or embryo recipients), then the prospects for broader application of AI/ART to marsupials are promising. #

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Characterization of oestrus and timed collection of oocytes in the grey short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica

Cited by 57 publications

References 7 publications

Mammalian diversity: gametes, embryos and reproduction

Mammalian diversity: gametes, embryos and reproduction

Changes in the Epithelium of the Vaginal Complex during the Estrous Cycle of the Marsupial <i>Monodelphis domestica</i>

Artificial insemination in marsupials

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