DU Chen-guang, YANG Yan-yan, LI Hai-jun, BAO Qing-jiang. Expression of the Ghrelin in Sheep Ooctyes and Pre-implantation Embryos Produced in vivo. Zoological Research, 2008, 29(2): 134-138. doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1141.2008.02134
Citation:
DU Chen-guang, YANG Yan-yan, LI Hai-jun, BAO Qing-jiang. Expression of the Ghrelin in Sheep Ooctyes and Pre-implantation Embryos Produced in vivo. Zoological Research, 2008, 29(2): 134-138. doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1141.2008.02134
DU Chen-guang, YANG Yan-yan, LI Hai-jun, BAO Qing-jiang. Expression of the Ghrelin in Sheep Ooctyes and Pre-implantation Embryos Produced in vivo. Zoological Research, 2008, 29(2): 134-138. doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1141.2008.02134
Citation:
DU Chen-guang, YANG Yan-yan, LI Hai-jun, BAO Qing-jiang. Expression of the Ghrelin in Sheep Ooctyes and Pre-implantation Embryos Produced in vivo. Zoological Research, 2008, 29(2): 134-138. doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1141.2008.02134
College of Animal Science and Animal Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018;2. Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China for Research of Mammal Reproductive Biology and Biotechnology of Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021
The possibility of ghrelin expressed in sheep oocytes and pre-implantation embryos produced in vivo was investigated in this study. The observed ghrelin immunoreactivity of oocytes and embryos at all stages was predominantly in the cytoplasm. Relative real-time reverse-transciptase (RT)-PCR experiments confirmed that the ghrelin mRNA levels varied depending on the developmental stage, with the highest expression in the blastocyst, metaphase II (MII) oocytes, 2- and 8-cell stages had a significantly higher expression in the germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes, 4-stage and morula. Dynamic changes and the persistent presence of the ghrelin signaling system within oocytes and pre-implantation embryos opens up the possibility of a potential regulatory role of this novel molecule during oocyte maturation and embryonic development.