Reproductive science and the future of the planet

Findlay, Jock K.; Holland, Michael; Wong, Bob B. M.

doi:10.1530/rep-18-0640

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 25 publications

(26 reference statements)

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“…Since their implementation, assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) have made major contributions to human health, livestock production and environmental management in the past and will continue to do so in future [ 1 , 2 ]. However, from the outset there has been concern about the influence of these technologies in embryo and postnatal development.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-Term Phenotypic and Proteomic Changes Following Vitrified Embryo Transfer in the Rabbit Model

García‐Domínguez

Marco‐Jiménez

Peñaranda

et al. 2020

Animals

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Nowadays, assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) are considered valuable contributors to our past, but a future without their use is inconceivable. However, in recent years, several studies have evidenced a potential impact of ART on long-term development in mammal species. To date, the long-term follow-up data are still limited. So far, studies have mainly focused on in vitro fertilization or in vitro culture, with information from gametes/embryos cryopreservation field being practically missing. Herein, we report an approach to determine whether a vitrified embryo transfer procedure would have long-term consequences on the offspring. Using the rabbit as a model, we compared animals derived from vitrified-transferred embryos versus those naturally conceived, studying the growth performance, plus the weight throughout life, and the internal organs/tissues phenotype. The healthy status was assessed over the hematological and biochemical parameters in peripheral blood. Additionally, a comparative proteomic analysis was conducted in the liver tissue to investigate molecular cues related to vitrified embryo transfer in an adult tissue. After vitrified embryo transfer, birth weight was increased, and the growth performance was diminished in a sex-specific manner. In addition, vitrified-transferred animals showed significantly lower body, liver and heart weights in adulthood. Molecular analyses revealed that vitrified embryo transfer triggers reprogramming of the liver proteome. Functional analysis of the differentially expressed proteins showed changes in relation to oxidative phosphorylation and dysregulations in the zinc and lipid metabolism, which has been reported as possible causes of a disturbed growth pattern. Therefore, we conclude that vitrified embryo transfer is not a neutral procedure, and it incurs long-term effects in the offspring both at phenotypic and molecular levels. These results described a striking example of the developmental plasticity exhibited by the mammalian embryo.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-Term Phenotypic and Proteomic Changes Following Vitrified Embryo Transfer in the Rabbit Model

García‐Domínguez

Marco‐Jiménez

Peñaranda

et al. 2020

Animals

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“…Understanding the genetic underpinnings of fertilization is essential for developing infertility treatments, contraceptive targets, understanding speciation, and mechanisms of cell-cell interactions (Schultz and Williams, 2002;Krauchunas et al, 2016;Bhakta et al, 2019;Findlay et al, 2019). In the last several years there has been a rapid increase in the discovery of genetically validated fertilization molecules in several key model systems (Deneke and Pauli, 2021;Mei and Singson, 2021).…”

Section: The Big Questions and Fertilization Gene Discoverymentioning

confidence: 99%

Where are all the egg genes?

Maniates

Singson

2023

Front. Cell Dev. Biol.

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Complementary forward and reverse genetic approaches in several model systems have resulted in a recent burst of fertilization gene discovery. The number of genetically validated gamete surface molecules have more than doubled in the last few years. All the genetically validated sperm fertilization genes encode transmembrane or secreted molecules. Curiously, the discovery of genes that encode oocyte molecules have fallen behind that of sperm genes. This review discusses potential experimental biases and inherent biological reasons that could slow egg fertilization gene discovery. Finally, we shed light on current strategies to identify genes that may result in further identification of egg fertilization genes.

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“…Conservation strategies for wild-living threatened species rely on improving survival and productivity to increase population growth. Methods such as habitat restoration and predator control are used to enhance survival, but it is often problems with reproductive output which most limit recovery ( Bunin, Jamieson & Eason, 1997 ; Gage et al, 2006 ; Comizzoli & Holt, 2019 ) and can have wide-ranging implications ( Findlay, Holland & Wong, 2019 ). Management techniques used to address these problems include translocations, supplementary feeding and artificial insemination ( Lloyd & Powlesland, 1994 ; Castro et al, 2003 ; Houston et al, 2007 ; Armstrong & Seddon, 2008 ; Blanco et al, 2009 ; Heber et al, 2012 ; Dogliero et al, 2017 ; Schneider et al, 2019 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hidden impacts of conservation management on fertility of the critically endangered kākāpō

Digby¹,

Eason²,

Catalina

et al. 2023

PeerJ

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Background Animal conservation often requires intensive management actions to improve reproductive output, yet any adverse effects of these may not be immediately apparent, particularly in threatened species with small populations and long lifespans. Hand-rearing is an example of a conservation management strategy which, while boosting populations, can cause long-term demographic and behavioural problems. It is used in the recovery of the critically endangered kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus), a flightless parrot endemic to New Zealand, to improve the slow population growth that is due to infrequent breeding, low fertility and low hatching success. Methods We applied Bayesian mixed models to examine whether hand-rearing and other factors were associated with clutch fertility in kākāpō. We used projection predictive variable selection to compare the relative contributions to fertility from the parents’ rearing environment, their age and previous copulation experience, the parental kinship, and the number of mates and copulations for each clutch. We also explored how the incidence of repeated copulations and multiple mates varied with kākāpō density. Results The rearing status of the clutch father and the number of mates and copulations of the clutch mother were the dominant factors in predicting fertility. Clutches were less likely to be fertile if the father was hand-reared compared to wild-reared, but there was no similar effect for mothers. Clutches produced by females copulating with different males were more likely to be fertile than those from repeated copulations with one male, which in turn had a higher probability of fertility than those from a single copulation. The likelihood of multiple copulations and mates increased with female:male adult sex ratio, perhaps as a result of mate guarding by females. Parental kinship, copulation experience and age all had negligible associations with clutch fertility. Conclusions These results provide a rare assessment of factors affecting fertility in a wild threatened bird species, with implications for conservation management. The increased fertility due to multiple mates and copulations, combined with the evidence for mate guarding and previous results of kākāpō sperm morphology, suggests that an evolutionary mechanism exists to optimise fertility through sperm competition in kākāpō. The high frequency of clutches produced from single copulations in the contemporary population may therefore represent an unnatural state, perhaps due to too few females. This suggests that opportunity for sperm competition should be maximised by increasing population densities, optimising sex ratios, and using artificial insemination. The lower fertility of hand-reared males may result from behavioural defects due to lack of exposure to conspecifics at critical development stages, as seen in other taxa. This potential negative impact of hand-rearing must be balanced against the short-term benefits it provides.

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Reproductive science and the future of the planet

Cited by 10 publications

References 25 publications

Long-Term Phenotypic and Proteomic Changes Following Vitrified Embryo Transfer in the Rabbit Model

Long-Term Phenotypic and Proteomic Changes Following Vitrified Embryo Transfer in the Rabbit Model

Where are all the egg genes?

Hidden impacts of conservation management on fertility of the critically endangered kākāpō

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