N-acetyl-l-cysteine protects porcine oocytes undergoing meiotic resumption from heat stress.

Heat stress (HS) is a notable risk factor for female reproductive performance. In particular, impaired oocyte maturation was thought to contribute largely to the HS-induced reproductive dysfunctions. In this study, we confirmed that oocytes undergoing GVBD were much susceptible to HS, and thus compromising subsequent embryonic development. Using N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), we found supplementation of a relatively high dose NAC during in vitro maturation, can protect oocytes from HS-induced complications, and thus rescuing impaired embryonic development. Further analysis indicated that mechanisms responsible for protecting GVBD oocytes from HS by NAC may include: (1) reversing disorganized spindle assembly and inhibited extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling; (2) correcting erroneous H3K27me3 modification and dysregulated expression of imprinted genes; (3) alleviating increased intraoocyte reactive oxygen species accumulation and apoptosis initiation. Our study, focusing on the oocyte meiotic maturation, may provide a safe and promising strategy for protecting reproductive sows under environmental hyperthermal conditions.

Sequencing and analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome of Gloydius saxatilis (Squamata: Viperidae: Crotalinae).

The mitochondrial genome sequence of Gloydius saxatilis is analyzed and presented for the public for the first time. The genome was 17,218 bp in length and contained 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and 2 control regions. The overall base composition was A (32.3%), C (28.9%), T (25.8%), and G (13.0%). The base compositions presented clearly the A-C skew, which was most obviously in the protein-coding genes. The extended termination-associated sequence domain, the central conserved domain and the conserved sequence block domain are defined in the mitochondrial genome control region of G. saxatilis. Mitochondrial genomes analyses based on MP, ML, NJ and Bayesian analyses yielded identical phylogenetic trees, indicating a close phylogenetic affinity of the thirteen Crotalinae species. It appeared that no less than two major phyletic lineages were present in Crotalinae. The main clades within the Crotalinae supported are: A clade including the Protobothrops. A clade (G. brevicaudus, G. ussuriensis, G. intermedius, G. saxatilis) with the Ovophis as the sister taxon to Protobothrops and was supported by bootstrap values of 88%. The four Gloydius species formed a paraphyletic group with the high bootstrap value (100%) in all examinations.