Sequential observation of mitochondrial distribution in mouse oocytes and embryos

Abstract

The present study revealed that mitochondria translocated in the cell cycle and suggested that there is a close relationship between mitochondrial translocation and developmental arrest.

Correlation of Abnormal Mitochondrial Distribution in Mouse Oocytes with Reduced Developmental Competence

“…In mice, previous studies of the correlation of mitochondrial distribution in oocytes with oocyte maturation have shown that GV oocytes with an abnormal mitochondrial distribution fail to progress to MI (Van Blerkom and Runner 1984), and that oocytes with small mitochondrial foci in the cortex have arrested maturation (Calarco 1995). Furthermore, mitochondria in a so-called blocking out strain have been shown to be dispersed in the cytoplasm, whereas in a non-blocking strain significant accumulation of mitochondria around the nuclei was observed (Tokura et al 1993;Bavister and Squirrell 2000). In humans, an asymmetrical mitochondrial distribution at the PN stage may result in some proportion of blastomeres with reduced mitochondrial inheritance and diminished ATP-generating capacity, and embryos with half of their blastomeres showing low fluorescence intensity fail to develop during culture (Van Blerkom et al 2000).…”

Translocation of active mitochondria during hamster preimplantation embryo development studied by confocal laser scanning microscopy

“…However, perinuclear clustering of mitochondria was only observed in 2-cell mouse embryos from strains that fail to cleave under standard culture conditions (i.e., "blocking" strains; Muggleton-Harris and Brown, 1988; Tokura et al, 1993). Fukada et al (1993) also reported that mitochondria were more homogeneously distributed with a higher density in the cytoplasm in freshly collected mouse 2-cell embryos than 2-cell embryos cultured from the 1-cell (pronucleate) stage.…”

“…Mitochondria in 2-cell mouse embryos, recovered from strains that can develop under standard culture conditions (i.e., "nonblocking" strains), were homogeneously distributed throughout the cytoplasm of the blastomeres during interphase (Muggleton-Harris and Brown, 1988), but could reorganize several times during the first two cell cycles (Tokura et al, 1993). However, perinuclear clustering of mitochondria was only observed in 2-cell mouse embryos from strains that fail to cleave under standard culture conditions (i.e., "blocking" strains; Muggleton-Harris and Brown, 1988; Tokura et al, 1993).…”

“…The spatial distribution of active mitochondria has been observed in preimplantation embryos from the mouse (Batten et al, 1987;Muggleton-Harris and Brown, 1988;Tokura et al, 1993) and human (Noto et al, 1993) using the fluorescent probe rhodamine 123 (Rh123) and epifluorescence microscopy. Changes in the localization of active mitochondria were correlated with the ability of mouse embryos to develop in vitro (Muggleton-Harris and Brown, 1988).…”

Mitochondria in human oogenesis and preimplantation embryogenesis: engines of metabolism, ionic regulation and developmental competence

“…During maturation of the mouse oocyte in vitro, mitochondria translocate to the perinuclear region along microtubular arrays extending from perinuclear microtubular organizing centers (Van Blerkom 1991) to form a sphere of organelles that encloses the condensing bivalent chromosomes and, later, the nascent metaphase I and II spindles (Van Blerkom & Runner 1984, Tokura et al 1993. After fertilization in the mouse (Van Blerkom & Runner 1984), hamster (Bavister & Squirrell 2000) and human (Van Blerkom et al 2000), mitochondria migrate to the perinuclear region, again by a microtubulemediated process, to form a condensed aggregate surrounding the opposed pronuclei.…”