JRD : Vol. 53 (2007) , No. 3 June pp.597-604

Exogenous Expression of Rat Aquaporin-3 Enhances Permeability to Water and Cryoprotectants of Immature Oocytes in the Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Shinsuke SEKI¹⁾, Toshimitsu KOUYA¹⁾, Takao HARA¹⁾, Delgado M. VALDEZ Jr¹⁾, Bo JIN¹⁾, Magosaburo KASAI¹⁾ and Keisuke EDASHIGE¹⁾

1) Laboratory of Animal Science, College of Agriculture, Kochi University

(Accepted for publication : January 21, 2007)

Abstract. Movement of water and cryoprotectants through the plasma membrane needs to be accelerated for successful cryopreservation of zebrafish oocytes/embryos, which are much larger than their mammalian counterparts. Aquaporin-3 is a water/solute channel that can transport not only water but also various cryoprotectants. In this study, we attempted to increase the permeability of immature zebrafish oocytes at stage III to water and cryoprotectants by exogenous expression of rat aquaporin-3. Immature zebrafish oocytes were injected with rat aquaporin-3 cRNA and cultured for 5-12 h. Permeability to water and cryoprotectants was then determined based on changes in the volumes of the oocytes in a hypertonic sucrose solution and various cryoprotectant solutions at 25 C. The permeability to water of the aquaporin-3 cRNA-injected oocytes was three times higher than that of intact and water-injected oocytes. The permeability of the aquaporin-3 cRNA-injected oocytes to ethylene glycol, glycerol, propylene glycol, and DMSO was also 2-4 times higher than that of intact oocytes. Thus, the permeability of immature zebrafish oocytes to water and cryoprotectants was enhanced by exogenous expression of aquaporin-3. Cryopreservation of teleost oocytes may be realized through a further increase in permeability.

Keywords: Aquaporin, Cryoprotectant-permeability, Oocyte, Water-permeability, Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

	To cite this article:
	Shinsuke SEKI, Toshimitsu KOUYA, Takao HARA, Delgado M. VALDEZ Jr, Bo JIN, Magosaburo KASAI and Keisuke EDASHIGE. “Exogenous Expression of Rat Aquaporin-3 Enhances Permeability to Water and Cryoprotectants of Immature Oocytes in the Zebrafish (Danio rerio)”. J. Reprod. Dev. Vol. 53, 597-604 (2007) .

	doi:10.1262/jrd.18164
	JOI JST.JSTAGE/jrd/18164