Transmission electron microscopy of horse embryos 3-16 days after ovulation.
Abstract: The 23 embryos were obtained by flushing the reproductive tract. Though the general cytology was observed, most attention was given to the formation of the embryonic capsule. It first appeared as a thin uniform layer on the inner surface of the zona pellucida of embryos recovered from the uterus on Day 6. By Day 8 the capsule was about 1 micron thick and the zona pellucida had been shed. In fixed embryos of 11 days and over the capsule was 3 microns thick and had a finely stippled but otherwise homogeneous appearance.
Publication Date: 1982-01-01 PubMed ID: 6962867
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article is primarily focused on examining the embryonic capsule development in horse embryos during the first 16 days after ovulation, which is studied using transmission electron microscopy.
Methodology
- The study used 23 horse embryos, which were obtained by flushing the reproductive tract of the horses.
- Transmission electron microscopy, a technique that uses electron transmission to generate detailed high-resolution images, was employed to observe the general cytology, or cellular structure, and particularly the formation of the embryonic capsule.
Observations
- The embryonic capsule was observed to first appear as a thin uniform layer on the inner surface of the zona pellucida (an outer layer surrounding the embryo) of embryos that were recovered from the uterus on Day 6 post-ovulation.
- Most of the focus was directed towards the embryonic capsule, its development and changes it undergoes in the early stages after ovulation.
Findings
- By Day 8, the capsule thickened to about 1 micron and the zona pellucida had been shed or lost, suggesting a transitional stage in the embryo’s development.
- When observing fixed (preserved) embryos that were 11 days or older, the capsule was found to be approximately 3 microns thick. In its appearance, the capsule was finely stippled but otherwise homogeneous, indicating a degree of uniformity in the cellular structure.
- These findings show the progression of embryonic capsule formation and development across defined stages over the 16-day period after ovulation.
Cite This Article
APA
Flood PF, Betteridge KJ, Diocee MS.
(1982).
Transmission electron microscopy of horse embryos 3-16 days after ovulation.
J Reprod Fertil Suppl, 32, 319-327.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Blastocyst / ultrastructure
- Embryo, Mammalian / ultrastructure
- Female
- Horses / embryology
- Microscopy, Electron
- Ovulation
- Pregnancy
- Trophoblasts / ultrastructure
Citations
This article has been cited 11 times.- Benammar A, Derisoud E, Vialard F, Palmer E, Ayoubi JM, Poulain M, Chavatte-Palmer P. The Mare: A Pertinent Model for Human Assisted Reproductive Technologies?. Animals (Basel) 2021 Aug 4;11(8).
- Llobat L. Pluripotency and Growth Factors in Early Embryonic Development of Mammals: A Comparative Approach. Vet Sci 2021 May 4;8(5).
- Aurich C, Budik S. Early pregnancy in the horse revisited - does exception prove the rule?. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2015;6:50.
- Iqbal K, Chitwood JL, Meyers-Brown GA, Roser JF, Ross PJ. RNA-seq transcriptome profiling of equine inner cell mass and trophectoderm. Biol Reprod 2014 Mar;90(3):61.
- Drews B, Roellig K, Menzies BR, Shaw G, Buentjen I, Herbert CA, Hildebrandt TB, Renfree MB. Ultrasonography of wallaby prenatal development shows that the climb to the pouch begins in utero. Sci Rep 2013;3:1458.
- Sirois J, Betteridge KJ, Brault A. Transcervical embryo transfer in horses: an application in an equestrian teaching center. Can Vet J 1987 Dec;28(12):750-3.
- Poitras P, Guay P, Vaillancourt D, Zidane N, Bigras-Poulin M. In vitro viability of cryopreserved equine embryos following different freezing protocols. Can J Vet Res 1994 Oct;58(4):235-41.
- Leiser R, Denker HW. The dynamic structure of rabbit blastocyst coverings. II. Ultrastructural evidence for a role of the trophoblast in neozona formation. Anat Embryol (Berl) 1988;179(2):129-34.
- Felix MR, Dobbie T, Woodward E, Linardi R, Okada C, Santos R, Hinrichs K. Equine in vitro fertilization with frozen-thawed semen is associated with shortened pre-incubation time and modified capacitation-related changes. Biol Reprod 2025 May 13;112(5):867-879.
- Lawson EF, Pickford R, Aitken RJ, Gibb Z, Grupen CG, Swegen A. Mapping the lipidomic secretome of the early equine embryo. Front Vet Sci 2024;11:1439550.
- Bazer FW, Johnson GA. Early Embryonic Development in Agriculturally Important Species. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jun 26;14(13).
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