L-Cysteine Supplementation Effect on the in vitro Maturation of Bovine Oocytes

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is now a routine technique in a number of biotechnology research laboratories worldwide. IVF is used as a tool for the study of various aspects related to oocytes maturation, fertilization and early embryo development. L-cysteine constitutes an external substrate required for synthesis of glutathione in the maturation of cattle oocytes. In order to study the effect of L-cysteine supplementation on in vitro maturation of cattle oocytes, ovaries were obtained from crossbred cows culled at a local slaughterhouse. Three different in vitro maturation treatments were utilized. Each treatment had a different concentrations of L-cysteine: T1: 0 mM, T2: 0.1 mM and T3: 1.0 mM. Approximately 400 Cumulus Oocyte Complexes (COCs) were matured in wells of 500 iL of maturation medium (TCM-199), with 5% CO2 at 38.5 degrees C and saturated relative humidity. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). There were no significant differences between treatments in term of oocytes that arrived to Metafase II (MII, Ti: 72.77%, T2: 67.47% and T3: 70.43%). Results indicate that supplementation with L-cysteine during maturation did not possitively affect the percentage of bovine oocytes that reached the M II state. Nonetheless further research should be carried out to determine the effect of L-cysteine supplementation during maturation, on fertilization and on embryonic development in vitro