Inorganic profiles of preimplantation embryos reveal a role for zinc in blastocyst development.

ABSTRACT: Elements such as iron, copper and zinc play essential roles in the mammalian oocyte, egg, and embryo, however among these metals, zinc plays unique regulatory roles. Temporal fluctuations in zinc concentrations drive reproductive milestones such as meiotic resumption, egg activation, and initiation of the mitotic cell cycle. Roles for zinc in late preimplantation embryo development, have not been well characterized. Using a quantitative element approach we report the inorganic profiles of mouse embryos progressing through the late blastocyst stage. We find that blastocysts, like oocytes and eggs, and distinct to somatic cells, maintain higher levels of zinc than copper and iron. All three of these essential metals are more abundant in the inner cell mass, which contains the population of p

SUBMITTER: Balough JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12132419 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature