Effect of vitrification and dehydration on ovarian tissue transcriptome in domestic cat

Long term preservation of living ovarian tissues is a critical approach in human reproductive medicine as well as in the conservation of rare animal genotypes. Understanding the impact of different preservation techniques on ovarian tissue and cells is essential in order to optimize and adapt the preservation protocols. Using the prepubertal domestic cat as a model, the objective was to study immediate effects of vitrification or microwave-assisted dehydration on the global transcriptome dynamics in the ovarian cortex. We performed RNA sequencing on ovarian tissue from six cats each divided into four groups: fresh tissue after dissection (F), vitrified/warmed tissue (V), tissue dehydrated for 5 min (D5) and 10 min (D10) with consequent rehydration.