Interpretive Summary: Programming of postnatal phenotype caused by exposure of cultured embryos from Brahman cattle to colony-stimulating factor 2 and serum
It is known that alterations in the environment of the preimplantation embryo can affect competence to establish pregnancy and phenotype of resultant calves, but there is no clear evidence for the effects of serum on postnatal phenotype of calves. A study recently published in the Journal of Animal Science evaluated the postnatal programming actions of the embryokine colony-stimulating factor 2 and serum using Brahman embryos produced in vitro. Additionally, it was tested whether serum has adverse effects on the phenotype of calves produced in an in vitro production system.
Results of the present study confirmed the importance of the preimplantation period as a window to adjust the postnatal phenotype of resultant calves. Both the colony-stimulating factor 2 and serum showed actions during the preimplantation period to alter subsequent development, and the treatment with serum reduced the gestation length and colony-stimulating factor 2 reduced fat deposition in Longissimus dorsi. Additionally, results demonstrated that the use of a low concentration of serum in culture medium increases the yield of transferable embryos without a high frequency of serious negative consequences for the offspring.
The full paper can be found on the Journal of Animal Science webpage.
