scholarly journals Progestogen Profiling Over the Course of Diapause and Resumption of Embryo Development in the European Roe Deer

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 158-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera A. Van der Weijden ◽  
Anna-Katharina Hankele ◽  
Anna B. Rüegg ◽  
Marion Schmicke ◽  
Karoline Rehm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Embryo Development ◽  
Luteal Phase ◽  
Roe Deer ◽  
Binding Capacity ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Capreolus Capreolus ◽  
Corpora Lutea ◽  
Embryonic Diapause ◽  
Weak Correlation ◽  
Species Specific

Progesterone (P4) plays a pivotal role in maintenance of pregnancy in many mammalian species. Species-specific P4 metabolites have been shown to function as primary acting progestogen and the receptor binding capacity varies between species. The European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) displays a 4-5 month period of embryonic diapause, which decouples fertilization from implantation. The majority of roe deer have two corpora lutea that secrete P4. No changes in P4 concentrations have been observed during pre-implantation embryo development. As 5α-DHP is known to play a major role during pregnancy in elephants and horses, we hypothesized that 5α-DHP functions as additional progestogen facilitating embryo reactivation. The profile of 11 progestogens was quantified in roe deer plasma over the course of diapause and resumption of embryo development including P4, 3α- and 3β-DHP, 20α- and 20β-DHP, 5α- and 5β-DHP, 3α,5α- and 3α,5β-THP, as well as 3β,5α- and 3β,5β-THP. While P4 was most abundant during diapause and resumption of development, 20α-DHP was the most abundant P4 metabolite. This is different than in pregnant elephants, where 5α-DHP was most abundant, and the luteal phase in cattle, where 3α,5α-THP was most abundant. With the exception of a weak correlation of 3β,5α-THP, none of the progestogens significantly correlated with embryonic development in the roe deer. Thus, plasma 5α-DHP does not seem to play a role in embryo reactivation. We propose that progestogens might contribute to priming the endometrium for supporting embryo development and preparation for implantation.

A comparative study of the corpus luteum

1995 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 303 ◽  
Author(s):  
RT Gemmell
Keyword(s):  
Corpus Luteum ◽  
Luteal Phase ◽  
Secretory Granules ◽  
Hormonal Control ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Oestrous Cycle ◽  
Corpora Lutea ◽  
Embryonic Diapause ◽  
Alternative Reproductive Strategy ◽  
Uterine Development

The corpus luteum (CL) is a transitory organ which has a regulatory role in reproduction. Sharks, amphibians and reptiles have corpora lutea that produce progesterone which influences the rate of embryonic development. The egg-laying monotremes and the two major mammalian groups, eutherian and marsupial, have a CL that secretes progesterone. Most eutherians have allowed for the uterine development of their young by extending the length of the oestrous cycle and the CL or placenta actively secretes progesterone until birth. Gestation in the marsupial does not extend beyond the length of an oestrous cycle and the major part of fetal development takes place in the pouch. Where the extension of the post-luteal phase in the eutherian has allowed for the uterine development of young, the marsupial has extended the pre-luteal phase of the oestrous cycle and has evolved an alternative reproductive strategy, embryonic diapause. The mechanism for the secretion of hormones from the CL has been controversial for many years. Densely-staining secretory granules have been observed in the CL of sharks, marsupials and eutherians. These granules have been reported to contain relaxin, oxytocin or mesotocin, and progesterone. A hypothesis to suit all available data is that all hormones secreted by the CL are transported within such granules. In conclusion, although there are obvious differences in the mode of reproduction in the two main mammalian groups, it is apparent that there is a great deal of similarity in the hormonal control of regression of the CL and parturition.

6 Decelerating embryo development? Characterisation of the uterine environment in European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) during diapause

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 128
Author(s):  
V. A. van der Weijden ◽  
A. R. Vegas ◽  
V. Milojevic ◽  
A. B. Rüegg ◽  
J. T. Bick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Stage ◽  
Embryo Development ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Roe Deer ◽  
Embryonic Diapause ◽  
Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Uterine Fluid ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽  
Uterine Environment ◽  
Differentially Abundant Proteins

The early developing embryo faces a continuously changing microenvironment to supports its growth. In the European roe deer, this environment accompanies embryonic diapause, a period of up to 4 months in which fertilization and subsequent implantation are decoupled. Diapause is characterised by a deceleration of embryonic growth. In most ruminants such as cattle and sheep, interferon tau (IFNt) plays a major role in maternal recognition of pregnancy. Uniquely to ruminants, the roe deer embryo does not secrete IFNt. The roe deer was used as a model species to gain insights into the changing uterine environment devoid of IFNt that supports prolonged decelerated embryo development, resumption of developmental velocity, and subsequent implantation. Uterine fluid samples from 188 female does were collected during regular huntings between September and January, and 4 developmental stages-blastocysts at early, mid, and late diapause and elongated embryos (16, 57, 97, and 18 does per developmental stage, respectively)-were defined. The developmental stages were assigned based on morphological characteristics of the embryo and the embryonic genomic DNA content. For the analysis of amino acids (AA), all 188 uterine fluid samples were subjected to targeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Almost all AA increased over the course of embryo development. Although most AA showed developmental stage-specific concentration peaks, serine, glycine, alanine, glutamate, and glutamine were most abundantly present irrespective of the developmental progression. For the analysis of the protein abundances in the uterine fluid in a selected subset of samples (n=5 per developmental stage), holistic liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry identified and quantified a total of 819 proteins with a false discovery rate of <1%. Comparison between the developmental stages revealed 106 differentially abundant proteins. Most changes in protein abundance that occurred related to embryo elongation. Interestingly, 713 proteins remained stable during embryo development, indicating that these proteins may contribute to prolonged embryo survival during embryonic diapause. The differentially abundant proteins were clustered with DAVID Bioinformatics Resources 6.8 (https://david.ncifcrf.gov/). The most enriched clusters were cell-cell adhesion, biosynthesis of AA and carbon metabolism, microtubule, structural molecule activity, and chaperone binding. The ongoing detailed identification of stably abundant proteins will advance our basic understanding of the embryos’ needs for sustained survival during prolonged decelerated development. In addition, a comparison with the protein abundances around the time of maternal recognition of pregnancy in other species could advance our knowledge on conserved proteins that support embryo development and establishment of pregnancy in mammals. Our findings may contribute to defining optimal in vitro embryo culture conditions in a species-independent manner and potentially identify factors capable of halting embryo development.

scholarly journals Rediscovery and genomic characterization of bovine astroviruses

2011 ◽  
Vol 92 (8) ◽  
pp. 1888-1898 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herman Tse ◽  
Wan-Mui Chan ◽  
Hoi-Wah Tsoi ◽  
Rachel Y. Y. Fan ◽  
Candy C. Y. Lau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Roe Deer ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Capreolus Capreolus ◽  
Genetic Distances ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
Sea Lions ◽  
The Family ◽  
Genomic Characterization ◽  
Similar Organization

The genus Mamastrovirus belongs to the family Astroviridae and consists of at least six members infecting different mammalian hosts, including humans, cattle and pigs. In recent years, novel astroviruses have been identified in other mammalian species like roe deer, bats and sea lions. While the bovine astrovirus was one of the earliest astroviruses to have been studied, no further research has been performed recently and its genome sequence remains uncharacterized. In this report, we describe the detection and genomic characterization of astroviruses in bovine faecal specimens obtained in Hong Kong. Five of 209 specimens were found to be positive for astrovirus by RT-PCR. Two of the positive specimens were found to contain sequences from two different astrovirus strains. Complete genome sequences of approximately 6.3 kb in length were obtained for four strains, which showed similar organization of the genome compared to other astroviruses. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed their identities as members of the genus Mamastrovirus, and showed them to be most closely related to the Capreolus capreolus astrovirus. Based on the pairwise genetic distances among their full-length ORF2 sequences, these bovine astroviruses may be assigned into at least three different genotype species. Sequence analysis revealed evidence of potential recombination in ORF2. In summary, we report the first genome sequences of bovine astroviruses and clearly establish the species status of the virus. Additionally, our study is among the first to report co-infection by different astrovirus genotypes in the same host, which is an essential step for recombination to occur.

scholarly journals Gliding into diapause: early embryo development in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Drews ◽  
SE Ulbrich ◽  
Vegas A Rudolf ◽  
K Jewgenow ◽  
J Zahmel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Embryo Development ◽  
Roe Deer ◽  
Capreolus Capreolus ◽  
Early Embryo ◽  
Early Embryo Development

scholarly journals Uterine fluid proteome changes during diapause and resumption of embryo development in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)

Reproduction ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 158 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
V A van der Weijden ◽  
J T Bick ◽  
S Bauersachs ◽  
G J Arnold ◽  
T Fröhlich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Embryo Development ◽  
Citrate Synthase ◽  
Roe Deer ◽  
Capreolus Capreolus ◽  
Blastocyst Stage ◽  
Label Free ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Uterine Fluid ◽  
The Impact

The uterine microenvironment during pre-implantation presents a pro-survival milieu and is essential for embryo elongation in ruminants. The European roe deer (Careolus capreolus) pre-implantation embryo development is characterised by a 4-month period of reduced development, embryonic diapause, after which the embryo rapidly elongates and implants. We investigated the uterine fluid proteome by label-free liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry at four defined stages covering the phase of reduced developmental pace (early diapause, mid-diapause and late diapause) and embryo elongation. We hypothesised that embryo development during diapause is halted by the lack of signals that support progression past the blastocyst stage. Three clusters of differentially abundant proteins were identified by a self-organising tree algorithm: (1) gradual reduction over development; (2) stable abundance during diapause, followed by a sharp rise at elongation; and (3) gradual increase over development. Proteins in the different clusters were subjected to gene ontology analysis. ‘Cellular detoxification’ in cluster 1 was represented by alcohol dehydrogenase, glutathione S-transferase and peroxiredoxin-2. ATP-citrate synthase, nucleolin, lamin A/C, and purine phosphorylase as cell proliferation regulators were found in cluster 2 and ‘cortical cytoskeleton’, ‘regulation of substrate adhesion-dependent cell spreading’ and ‘melanosome’ were present in cluster 3. Cell cycle promoters were higher abundant at elongation than during diapause, and polyamines presence indicates their role in diapause regulation. This study provides a comprehensive overview of proteins in the roe deer uterine fluid during diapause and forms a basis for studies aiming at understanding the impact of the lack of cell cycle promoters during diapause.

The blame game: Using eDNA to identify species-specific tree browsing by red deer (Cervus elaphus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in a temperate forest

2019 ◽  
Vol 451 ◽  
pp. 117483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne T.S. van Beeck Calkoen ◽  
Kieran Leigh-Moy ◽  
Joris P.G.M. Cromsigt ◽  
Göran Spong ◽  
Leo C. Lebeau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Temperate Forest ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Roe Deer ◽  
Capreolus Capreolus ◽  
Species Specific

scholarly journals Comparison of Reproductive Performance of the Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus, L.) Among Different Regions

2006 ◽  
pp. 41-46
Author(s):  
István Majzinger
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Roe Deer ◽  
Capreolus Capreolus ◽  
Corpora Lutea ◽  
Actual Number ◽  
Offspring Number ◽  
Region I ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Autumn And Winter

The potential and actual number of offspring of roe deer and the difference between these figures (prenatal and postnatal loss) significantly vary in each population yearly. The objective of this study is to examine the potential and actual number of offspring, the number of losses, and to find a link between the most important biological characteristics of does (body weight – BW, condition – KFI) and the number of raised offspring on four territories on the Great Hungarian Plain.Where the number of corpora lutea (CL) is the highest, there the losses are the highest as well, and the number of raised offspring is the lowest (region I.). Here, the rearing loss is double that of the weakest territory (region IV.). Rearing losses can be associated with the fenotype of does (BW, KFI) but environmental factors also have determinative importance. Where the number of twin-calving does was the highest, I found four times more does without a fawn than where the number of twin-calving does was the lowest. The nursing success was the best (the losses were lowest) in the region where the potential offspring (number of CL) was also the lowest, but the coverage of the habitat and the proportion of forests were largest. The food supply for the animals in autumn and winter are not enough, the structure of the habitat has to be improved as well, so that it might become adequate for game protection in extreme weather conditions.The results have to be considered as preliminary ones. It is essential to continue and extend the research to increase the reliability of the results.

scholarly journals Embryonic diapause in mammals and dormancy in embryonic stem cells with the European roe deer as experimental model

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 76
Author(s):  
Vera A. van der Weijden ◽  
Anna B. Rüegg ◽  
Sandra M. Bernal-Ulloa ◽  
Susanne E. Ulbrich
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Embryonic Stem Cells ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Roe Deer ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Capreolus Capreolus ◽  
Embryonic Diapause ◽  
Developmental Progression ◽  
Promising Application

In species displaying embryonic diapause, the developmental pace of the embryo is either temporarily and reversibly halted or largely reduced. Only limited knowledge on its regulation and the inhibition of cell proliferation extending pluripotency is available. In contrast with embryos from other diapausing species that reversibly halt during diapause, embryos of the roe deer Capreolus capreolus slowly proliferate over a period of 4–5 months to reach a diameter of approximately 4mm before elongation. The diapausing roe deer embryos present an interesting model species for research on preimplantation developmental progression. Based on our and other research, we summarise the available knowledge and indicate that the use of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) would help to increase our understanding of embryonic diapause. We report on known molecular mechanisms regulating embryonic diapause, as well as cellular dormancy of pluripotent cells. Further, we address the promising application of ESCs to study embryonic diapause, and highlight the current knowledge on the cellular microenvironment regulating embryonic diapause and cellular dormancy.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document