Identifying biomarkers for embryo biotechnologies through proteomics and lipid fingerprinting of bovine embryos

• Grant number: 12/08569-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: August 25, 2012
• End date: August 29, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• Principal Investigator: Roseli Fernandes Gonçalves
• Grantee: Roseli Fernandes Gonçalves
• Visiting researcher: Peter Eliza Josef Bols
• Visiting researcher institution: Ghent University (UGent), Belgium
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 10/01077-9 - Identifying biomarkers for embryo biotechnologies through proteomics and lipid fingerprinting of bovine embryos, AP.JP

Abstract

Although currently the national livestock has reached a high technological level, certain factors affect the reproductive performance of animals. Thus, lowering productivity, profitability, and therefore the competitiveness of livestock. The biggest limitation to reproductive efficiency among mammals is embryonic mortality, estimated at 25-60%. The quality and survival of embryos produced in vitro, as well as by nuclear transfer of somatic cells are lower than those of embryos generated in vivo. Little is known of the changes in gene expression and protein and lipid profile found in pre-implantation embryos obtained from bovine in vitro fertilization and nuclear transfer of somatic cells when compared with those obtained by embryo transfer. This project proposes to investigate the role of proteins and lipids in embryo mortality and the effect of different embryo biotechnologies about this process, aimed at: 1) characterize differences in protein profile of cattle Bos taurus and Bos indicus pre-implantation embryos derived from in vitro fertilization, embryo transfer and nuclear transfer of somatic cells and systematize the information obtained in order to choose candidate proteins to carry out deeper analysis; 2) characterize the fatty acid composition of pre-implantation embryos; 3) identify biomarkers associated with embryonic loss. (AU)