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Culture and Transfer of Sheep Embryos

University of California^,2, Davis 95616

Abstract

In vitro development of sheep embryos in Whitten's medium supplemented with .5% or 1.5% bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied. Both media supported development of pre-morula stage embryos into blastocysts, but a higher percentage of eight-cell embryos (62.5% vs 21.5%) developed into blastocysts in the medium containing the lower level of BSA (P<.02). One- through four-cell embryos did not develop in this medium as well as eight-cell embryos (P<.02). Three of 10 eight-cell embryos which developed to the blastocyst stage in medium supplemented with .5% BSA initiated the process of hatching from the zona pellucida, a phenomenon not previously reported for embryos cultured from premorula stages.

Seven of 18 embryos (38.8%) cultured for 24 hr and transferred to nine ewes developed to term in five recipients. Eight embryos transferred after 48 hr in culture failed to develop. Asynchrony between the developmental stage of the embryos and the luteal phase of the recipients due to retardation of development in culture may have accounted for the lack of survival of embryos cultured for 48 hours.

¹ Sincere thanks to Susan Donahue, Mary Horton and Dr. Barry Duelke for excellent assistance with various phases of this experiment.

² Department of Animal Science.