Modulation of Oocyte Meiotic Progression through Manipulation of Zinc Availability
- Technology Benefits
- Salvages gametes that are considered unusable by current technologiesNon-invasive Inexpensive
- Detailed Technology Description
- A novel mechanism to help guide arrested oocytes through meiotic division.#therapeutics #fertility
- *Abstract
-
Northwestern researchers have discovered anddeveloped a novel way to improve the outcome of assisted reproductivetechnology (ART). They found that zincplays a critical and previously unrecognized role in the control of meioticprogression in the mammalian oocyte. Bymanipulating zinc availability, primarily through chelation, they show that anarrested egg can be activated and resume the cell cycle. This invention involves the use of zincchelation, via intracellular, extracellular or substrate-attached chelators, tolimit zinc availability and promote progression through specific meiotic arrestpoints. The utilization of thesezinc-based tools could potentially lead to the production of fertilizablegametes in cases where oocytes collected are arrested and would currently beconsidered unusable with existing technologies.
- *Inventors
- Teresa K. Woodruff Thomas V. O'Halloran Miranda L. Bernhardt Betty Y. Kong Alison M. Kim
- *Publications
- 1. Kim AM, Bernhardt ML, Kong BY, Ahn RW, Vogt S, Woodruff TK and O'Halloran TV (2011) Zinc sparks are triggered by fertilization and facilitate cell cycle resumption in mammalian eggs. ACS Chemical Biology. 6: 716-723.2. Bernhardt ML, Kim AM, O'Halloran TV and Woodruff TK (2011) Zinc requirement during meiosis I- meiosis II transition in mouse oocytes is independent of the MOS-MAPK pathway. Biology of Reproduction. 84: 526-536. 3. Kim AM, Vogt S, O'Halloran TV, Woodruff TK (2011) Zinc availability regulates exit from meiosis in maturing mammalian oocytes. Nature Chemical Biology. 6: 674-681.
- Country/Region
- USA
