Transcriptome in bovine whole blastocyst and isolated inner cell mass with re-cavitation

The purpose of this project is to investigate transcriptome in isolated inner cell mass (ICM) with re-formation of blastocoel as compared to whole blastocyst (Whole) in cattle. The bovine blastocysts were prepared by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and subsequent in vitro culture (IVC). For isolation of the ICM, the blastocysts were treated with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) containing 0.2% Triton X-100. The embryos were carefully washed, followed by gentle pipetting to collect pure ICMs without trophectoderm. These isolated ICMs were collected in the embryo culture medium. The iICMs with an obvious cavity were defined as "re-cavitated iICM" (re-iICM). The analysis showed that transcriptome of re-iICM was similar to Whole.