The quality of in vitro matured oocytes is inferior to that of in vivo matured oocytes, which translates to low developmental capacity of embryos derived from in vitro matured oocytes. The developmental potential of in vitro matured oocytes is usually impaired due to oxidative stress. Stromal cell-derived factor-l (SDF1) can reduce oxidative stress and inhibit apoptosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of SDF1 supplementation during pig oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM) on subsequent embryo development, and to explore the acting mechanisms of SDF1 in pig oocytes. We found that the IVM medium containing 20 ng/mL SDF1 improved the maturation rate of pig oocytes, as well as the cleavage rate and blastocyst rate of embryos generated by somatic cell nuclear transfer, in vitro fertilization, and parthenogenesis. Supplementation of 20 ng/mL SDF1 during IVM decreased the ROS level, increased the mitochondrial membrane potential, and altered the expression of apoptosis-related genes in the pig oocytes. The porcine oocyte transcriptomic data showed that SDF1 addition during IVM altered the expression of genes enriched in the purine metabolism and TNF signaling pathways. SDF1 supplementation during pig oocyte IVM also upregulated the mRNA and protein levels of YY1 and TET1, two critical factors for oocyte development. In conclusion, supplementation of SDF1 during pig oocyte IVM reduces oxidative stress, changes expression of genes involved in regulating apoptosis and oocyte growth, and enhances the ability of in vitro matured pig oocytes to support subsequent embryo development. Our findings provide a theoretical basis and a new method for improving the developmental potential of pig in vitro matured oocytes.
Keywords: IVM; SDF1; embryo development; oocyte quality; pig.