Molecular determinants of oocyte competence: potential functional role for maternal (oocyte-derived) follistatin in promoting bovine early embryogenesis.

Previous studies established a positive relationship between oocyte competence and follistatin mRNA abundance. Herein, we used the bovine model to test the hypothesis that follistatin plays a functional role in regulation of early embryogenesis. Treatment of early embryos with follistatin during in vitro culture (before embryonic genome activation) resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in time to first cleavage, increased numbers of blastocysts, and increased blastocyst total and trophectoderm cell numbers. To determine the requirement of endogenous follistatin for early embryogenesis, follistatin ablation/replacement studies were performed. Microinjection of follistatin small interfering RNA into zygotes reduced follistatin mRNA and protein and was accompanied by a reduction in number of embryos developing to eight- to 16-cell and blastocyst stages and reduced blastocyst total and trophectoderm cell numbers. Effects of follistatin ablation were rescued by culture of follistatin small interfering RNA-injected embryos in the presence of exogenous follistatin. To investigate whether follistatin regulation of early embryogenesis is potentially mediated via inhibition of endogenous activin activity, the effects of treatment of embryos with exogenous activin, SB-431542 (inhibitor of activin, TGF-beta, and nodal type I receptor signaling) and follistatin plus SB-431542 were investigated. Activin treatment mimicked positive effects of follistatin on time to first cleavage and blastocyst development, whereas negative effects of SB-431542 treatment were observed. Stimulatory effects of follistatin on embryogenesis were not blocked by SB-431542 treatment. Results support a functional role for oocyte-derived follistatin in bovine early embryogenesis and suggest that observed effects of follistatin are likely not mediated by classical inhibition of activin activity.