Sire modulates developmental kinetics and transcriptome in the bovine embryo

The impact of sire on pre-implantation embryonic development in cattle remains poorly understood. This study evaluated differences in embryos produced from sires with varying capacities to produce blastocysts. Sires classified as high (HP) and low-performing (LP) based on their ability to produce embryos were used in order to better understand how sire regulates embryonic development. By monitoring embryo development, it was determined that the most common arrest stage was the 5-6 cell stage. Embryos (4-6 cells) from HP and LP sires were analyzed for autophagic activity, where embryos for LP sires exhibited increased autophagy than HP-derived embryos. Transcriptome analysis of 4-cell embryos found that embryos from LP sires might have issues in sperm mitochondrial clearance, histone retention, and DNA damage, while HP sires have increased expression of genes involved in transcription, chromosome segregation, and cell division. In conclusion, LP sires have an increased proportion of embryos arresting at the 5-6 cell stage, and these embryos have higher rates of cellular stress due to paternal contributions from the spermatozoon. Bovine embryos at 2-4 cell stage from high and low performing sires