Effect of Fatty Acids on Fertilization and Development of Mouse Embryos In Vitro

¹ MRC Mammalian Development Unit, Wolfson House, 4 Stephenson Way, London, England

The interaction of protein and fatty acids on the fertilization and preimplantation development of mouse embryos in vitro was investigated. Normal fraction V and fatty-acid-free bovine serum albumin (V-BSA and FAF-BSA) supported high rates of fertilization, but the addition of palmitic and/or oleic acids inhibited fertilization of mouse ova in vitro. Trichloroacetic acid-extracted BSA (TCA-BSA) totally inhibited fertilization, even in the absence of fatty acids. The normal V-BSA was capable of supporting the development of one-cell zygotes and, later, the preimplantation stages to fully expanded hatched blastocysts. Only 50% of one- and two-cell embryos developed to fully expanded blastocysts in the presence of FAF-BSA; TCA-BSA did not support continued development to the blastocyst stage until culture was initiated at the eight-cell stage. Oleic acid was better than palmitic acid, and the combination of both acids was best in promoting the formation and hatching of blastocysts from the one-cell stage in medium containing FAF-BSA. Thus, exogenous fatty acids inhibit fertilization of mouse ova, but they are required for the development of embryos.

     Key words: fertilization, embryos, fatty acids, bovine serum albumin

Accepted on June 30, 1982