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| "Slow Motion" Shows Embryo Development |
The embryos of roe deer develop very slowly within a few months.
The picture shows the early embryos of bovids under the microscope
.
Image source: ETH Zurich
Roe deer (a small deer) is one of the few mammals whose embryos enter a particularly long dormancy
.
Researchers at ETH Zurich used modern molecular methods to prove for the first time what actually happened to the embryo at this stage
Roe deer is an animal with big, dark eyes, one of their characteristics is unique among deer
.
In the mid-summer season, after the egg is fertilized, the needle-sized embryo will not be implanted in the uterus, but will enter a dormant period called "embryonic diapause"
Although this phenomenon has been known more than 150 years ago, it is still confusing
.
People already know that there are various forms of embryonic diapause in more than 130 mammals
An international team led by Susanne Ulbrich, Professor of Animal Physiology at ETH Zurich, investigated the mystery of roe deer diapause for a period of time
.
In a new study, researchers demonstrated the molecular process that occurs when embryos are dormant: embryonic cells continue to divide during diapause, albeit very slowly
To answer the question of what prevents embryonic cells from dividing at a normal rate, the researchers first examined the molecular composition of uterine fluid
.
Next, they further looked at the transcriptome, which is the sum of all messenger RNA molecules in embryos and uterine epithelial cells
In uterine fluid, researchers have discovered signal substances that can regulate the rate of cell division
.
The amino acid content of serine is particularly significant
This process involves a molecular complex of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)
.
mTOR responds to amino acids and plays a key role in many metabolic signaling pathways in mammalian cells, including those related to cancer
According to the new findings, during the entire diapause process, only the activity of mTORC1 is inhibited, while the activity of mTORC2 is not inhibited
.
This is in contrast to diapause mice, where the cell division of diapause mice is completely stopped after mTORC1 and mTORC2 are inhibited
.
At the end of diapause, a significant increase in amino acid levels in uterine fluid activates mTORC1
.
This in turn increases the expression of metabolism and cell cycle genes, pushing the embryo forward
.
At the same time, because mTORC2 is not inhibited during the diapause of roe deer embryos, the researchers hypothesized that this could explain why cell division continues slowly
.
In this study, the researchers did not investigate whether other signaling molecules are related to various amino acids
.
It is unclear whether these amino acids are really responsible for restoring embryonic development, or whether the embryo itself secretes molecules that act on maternal cells and signaling pathways
.
The embryo can indicate its existence to the mother through specific signaling molecules
.
Ulbrich hopes to bridge this knowledge gap in future research
.
These new findings reveal the general situation of reproduction and developmental biology
.
A basic question is how mammals get pregnant
.
For example, in some women and domestic cattle, embryos often die because they cannot be implanted in the uterus
.
"This is related to the complex interaction between the embryo and the mother
.
" Ulbrich said
.
She added that a successful pregnancy requires precise time
.
The embryo must be discovered at the right time through the right (molecular) signal and interrupt the mother's menstrual cycle
.
Ulbrich explained, “We want to better understand this interaction between the embryo and the mother
.
” For this, she said that roe deer is an ideal model
.
The embryonic development of a roe deer is very similar to that of a cow, but in slow motion
.
"This allows us to better temporarily resolve the sequence of events and find cause and effect
.
"
The author said that this discovery helps to improve human in vitro fertilization, so that embryos no longer need to be frozen
.
In addition, natural factors can also be used to control the rate of cell division, including embryonic stem cells
.
Related article information:
https://doi.
org/10.
1073/pnas.
2100500118
