Vol. 8, Issue 1 (2019)

In vitro maturation (IVM) is essential technology under assisted reproductive technologies which enables oocytes to achieve maturation and acquire competence for subsequent embryonic division leading to blastocyst formation. This technique is valuable not only because it allows production of large numbers of oocytes, but also because they provide valuable in vitro model to study the gene expression at different maturational stages of oocyte. During maturation oocyte accumulates large amount of mRNA to dictate developmental competence of oocytes and further embryonic development. Using quantitative real-time qPCR assays, expression pattern of several classes of genes have been studied in Preimplantation stages of murine and bovine embryos.

In this study we investigate the expression of GDF9 gene at different developmental stages of sheep oocytes by using real-time qPCR technique. The relative expression of GDF9 was highest in immature oocytes than in vitro matured oocytes and parthenogenetic embryos.

In conclusion, GDF9 showed highest expression in immature oocytes, its expression decreased during maturation and embryo production.