Mitochondrial distribution and adenosine triphosphate content of bovine oocytes before and after in vitro maturation:: Correlation with morphological criteria and developmental capacity after in vitro fertilization and culture

In this study we evaluated mitochondrial distribution and ATP content of individual bovine oocytes before and after in vitro maturation (IVM). Cumulus-oocyte complexes were classified according to morphological criteria: category 1, homogeneous oocyte cytoplasm, compact multilayered cumulus oophorus; category 2, cytoplasm with small inhomogeneous areas, more than five layers of compact cumulus; category 3, heterogeneous/vacuolated cytoplasm, three to five layers of cumulus including small areas of denuded zona pellucida; category 4, heterogeneous cytoplasm, completely or in great part denuded. In immature oocytes, staining with MitoTracker green revealed mitochondrial clumps in the periphery of the cytoplasm, with a strong homogenous signal in category 1 oocytes, a weaker staining in category 2 oocytes,allocation of mitochondria around vacuoles in category 3 oocytes, and poor staining of mitochondria in category 4 oocytes. After IVM, mitochondrial clumps were allocated more toward the center, became larger, and stained more intensive in category land 2 oocytes. This was also true for category 3 oocytes; however, mitochondria maintained their perivacuolar distribution. No mitochondrial reorganization was seen for category 4 oocytes. Before IVM, the average ATP content of category 1 oocytes (1.8 pmol) tended to be higher than that of category 2 oocytes (1.6 pmol) and was significantly (P < 0.01) higher than in category 3 (1.4 pmol) and 4 oocytes (0.9 pmol). The IVM resulted in a significant (P < 0.01) increase in the average ATP content of all oocyte categories, with no difference between oocytes extruding versus non-extruding a polar body. After in vitro fertilization (IVF) and culture, significantly (P < 0.05) more category 1 and 2 than category 3 and 4 oocytes developed to the morula or blastocyst stage (determined 168 h after IVF). Total cell numbers of expanded blastocysts derived from category 1 and 2 oocytes were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than of those originating from category 3 and 4 oocytes. These data indicate that mitochondrial reorganization and ATP levels are different between morphologically good and poor oocytes and may be responsible for their different developmental capacity after IVF.