TY - JOUR
T1 - The proteome, not the transcriptome, predicts that oocyte superovulation affects embryonic phenotypes in mice
AU - Taher, Leila
AU - Israel, Steffen
AU - Drexler, Hannes C A
AU - Makalowski, Wojciech
AU - Suzuki, Yutaka
AU - Fuellen, Georg
AU - Boiani, Michele
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/12/9
Y1 - 2021/12/9
N2 - Superovulation is the epitome for generating oocytes for molecular embryology in mice, and it is used to model medically assisted reproduction in humans. However, whether a superovulated oocyte is normal, is an open question. This study establishes for the first time that superovulation is associated with proteome changes that affect phenotypic traits in mice, whereas the transcriptome is far less predictive. The proteins that were differentially expressed in superovulated mouse oocytes and embryos compared to their naturally ovulated counterparts were enriched in ontology terms describing abnormal mammalian phenotypes: a thinner zona pellucida, a smaller oocyte diameter, increased frequency of cleavage arrest, and defective blastocyst formation, which could all be verified functionally. Moreover, our findings indicate that embryos with such abnormalities are negatively selected during preimplantation, and ascribe these abnormalities to incomplete ovarian maturation during the time of the conventional superovulation, since they could be corrected upon postponement of the ovulatory stimulus by 24 h. Our data place constraints on the common view that superovulated oocytes are suitable for drawing general conclusions about developmental processes, and underscore the importance of including the proteins in a modern molecular definition of oocyte quality.
AB - Superovulation is the epitome for generating oocytes for molecular embryology in mice, and it is used to model medically assisted reproduction in humans. However, whether a superovulated oocyte is normal, is an open question. This study establishes for the first time that superovulation is associated with proteome changes that affect phenotypic traits in mice, whereas the transcriptome is far less predictive. The proteins that were differentially expressed in superovulated mouse oocytes and embryos compared to their naturally ovulated counterparts were enriched in ontology terms describing abnormal mammalian phenotypes: a thinner zona pellucida, a smaller oocyte diameter, increased frequency of cleavage arrest, and defective blastocyst formation, which could all be verified functionally. Moreover, our findings indicate that embryos with such abnormalities are negatively selected during preimplantation, and ascribe these abnormalities to incomplete ovarian maturation during the time of the conventional superovulation, since they could be corrected upon postponement of the ovulatory stimulus by 24 h. Our data place constraints on the common view that superovulated oocytes are suitable for drawing general conclusions about developmental processes, and underscore the importance of including the proteins in a modern molecular definition of oocyte quality.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85120982356&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41598-021-03054-9
DO - 10.1038/s41598-021-03054-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 34887460
SN - 2045-2322
VL - 11
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
IS - 1
M1 - 23731
ER -