Alterations in Gene Expression and the Fatty Acid Profile Impact but Do Not Compromise the In Vitro Maturation of Zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>) Stage III Ovarian Follicles after Cryopreservation
Fernanda de Mello,
Daniel Jaen Alonso,
Natália Pires Vieira Morais de Faria,
Victor Hugo Marques,
Ethiene Fernandes de Oliveira,
Paulo Henrique de Mello,
Leandro César de Godoy,
Renata Guimaraes Moreira
Affiliations
Fernanda de Mello
Department of Physiology, Bioscience Institute, University of Sao Paulo (IB/USP), 101 Matão Street, Travessa 14, Butantã District, São Paulo 05508-090, SP, Brazil
Daniel Jaen Alonso
Department of Physiology, Bioscience Institute, University of Sao Paulo (IB/USP), 101 Matão Street, Travessa 14, Butantã District, São Paulo 05508-090, SP, Brazil
Natália Pires Vieira Morais de Faria
Department of Physiology, Bioscience Institute, University of Sao Paulo (IB/USP), 101 Matão Street, Travessa 14, Butantã District, São Paulo 05508-090, SP, Brazil
Victor Hugo Marques
Department of Physiology, Bioscience Institute, University of Sao Paulo (IB/USP), 101 Matão Street, Travessa 14, Butantã District, São Paulo 05508-090, SP, Brazil
Ethiene Fernandes de Oliveira
Aquaculture Center, São Paulo State University “Julio de Mesquita Filho” (CAUNESP), Access Road Professor Paulo Donato Castellane, Vila Industrial District, Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, Brazil
Paulo Henrique de Mello
Beacon Development, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, 2713, Jeddah 23955, Saudi Arabia
Leandro César de Godoy
Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, 7712 Bento Gonçalves Avenue, Agronomia District, Porto Alegre 91540-000, RS, Brazil
Renata Guimaraes Moreira
Department of Physiology, Bioscience Institute, University of Sao Paulo (IB/USP), 101 Matão Street, Travessa 14, Butantã District, São Paulo 05508-090, SP, Brazil
The vitrification of ovarian follicles is a strategic tool that may contribute to advances in aquaculture and the conservation of many important species. Despite the difficulties inherent to the cryopreservation of oocytes, some successful protocols have been developed for different species, but little is known about the capacity of oocytes to develop after thawing. Therefore, the profiles of the reproductive pathway genes and fatty acid membrane composition during the initial stages of development were analyzed in fresh ovarian follicles and follicles after the vitrification process. There were differences in the expression of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonad axis genes during the follicular development in the control group as well as in the vitrified group. Similarly, alterations in the composition of fatty acids were observed after vitrification. Despite this, many alterations were observed in the vitrified group; more than half of the stage III ovarian follicles were able to grow and mature in vitro. Therefore, the vitrification of ovarian follicles may impact them at molecular and membrane levels, but it does not compromise their capability for in vitro maturation, which indicates that the technique can be a strategic tool for aquaculture.
