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Abstract: The effect of in vitro storage of oocytes on embryos survival rate, egg oxidation status, antioxidant enzyme activities, lipid classes and fatty acid composition profile was investigated in common tench Tinca tinca. In order to identify the role of oxidative stress in the progress of oocyte ageing the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and carbonyls as indicators of lipid and protein oxidation were measured and the activity of antioxidant enzymes were examined. Stripped ova from six females were stored in cell culture plates at 20°C for up to 10 hr post‐stripping (HPS). The stored ova were fertilized and the embryo survival rates were assessed. The results indicated that tench eggs could be successfully stored in vitro for 4 hr after stripping at 20°C. Superoxide dismutase enzyme activity increased at 6 HPS, whereas glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities decreased in oocytes during in vitro storage (p < .05) at 4 and 8 HPSs, respectively. The level of malondialdehyde did not show any significant changes during the progress of oocyte ageing. Carbonyls increased up to 2 HPS and thereafter decreased significantly. However, ova ageing did not affect the main lipid class composition and the fatty acid composition of the eggs. Lower quality eggs exhibited lower levels of cholesterol but higher levels of triacylglycerol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The time period during which oocyte and spermatozoa retain their fertilizing ability after contacting with water was evaluated in pikeperch (Sander lucioperca). In addition, success of in vitro fertilization was examined regarding to the sperm-to-oocyte ratio (SOR). In the first trial, oocytes were placed in Petri dishes containing 5 ml of the hatchery water, to which freshly collected and pooled sperm were added to each sample at 0, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 s post oocyte activation. The oocytes retained their fertility for at least 30 s after contacting with water. The second trial tested the maximum time period during which spermatozoa retained fertilizability after contacting with water. Milt (50 μl) was collected from each male and added to 5 ml of water in Petri dishes. Thereafter, oocytes were added at 0, 5, 15, 30, 60 and 75 s post-sperm activation. Delays exceeding 10 s affected negatively the fertilization success. The third trial examined the optimum SOR; in which was found that 100 × 103 spermatozoa per oocyte were the minimum ratio to ensure fertilization rates above 70%. Overall, the data clarified some biological interactions of gametes in the artificial propagation of pikeperch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Delayed fertilization following ovulation leads to the oocyte ageing which has been identified as the most important factor affecting egg quality after ovulation. Very little is known about the molecular changes associated with the progress of oocyte ageing. The present study monitored the egg viability rates during post‐stripping oocyte ageing in African catfish Clarias gariepinus. In addition the mRNA abundance of selected genes were studied during the progress of oocyte ageing by real time quantitative PCR. To study how maternal transcripts influence egg quality, expression levels were correlated with egg hatching rates. The highest embryo survival and hatching rates (88% and 81%, respectively) were obtained from eggs that were fertilized immediately after stripping. Complete loss of egg viability occurred at 16 and 24 hr Post Stripping (HPS) when eggs were stored at 25°C and 4°C respectively. Under both storage temperatures, the embryo mortality and larval malformation rates increased significantly over time and were the highest in the most aged oocytes. Genes indicating an upward trend in expression during ova ageing were determined to be related to oxidative injury and the stress response (hsp70), mitochondrial function (calmodulin), apoptosis (cathepsin D) and germ line speciation (vasa and sox9a). The results suggest that oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction might be associated with post‐stripping ova ageing and the consequent induction of egg quality defects. The examined genes may be considered as candidate markers of egg quality associated with oocyte ageing in African catfish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]