Genes from mouse with 1.8 fold-changes as a cut-off [20], 24 genes for early embryos and 5 for expanded embryos from bovine with 1.5 fold-changes as a cut-off [22] and 56 genes from buffalo with 1.4 fold-changes as a cut-off [21]. In this study, we observed that 1606, 557 and 199 microarray probe signals were changed in the parthenogenetic blastocyst using a minimum of 1.5, 2.0 and 3.0 fold-changes as a cut-off, respectively. The 199 probe signals represent 92 genes, of which 16 had lower expression and 76 showed higher expression in parthenotes than fertilised embryos, developed in vivo. In the present study, in terms of biological process categories, slight differences are observed between transcript Title Loaded From File percentage of up and downregulated genes. However, the main categories altered, related to Title Loaded From File transport and protein metabolic process, comprise more upregulated than downregulated genes. Genes with high fold-changes such as BZND6, ANXAL, MYL4 are involved in transport, while protein metabolic process includes genes such as ClUS, PPIL6 or CIRL. In contrast, regarding molecular function and cellular components, a higher percentage of downregulated transcripts are comprised. In this case, the mainTranscriptome of In Vivo Parthenote Blastocystsaltered categories are those related to DNA and RNA binding, both located in cellular nucleus and involving genes such as GTF2B (general transcription initiation factor IIb; X), CHURC1 (Churchill domain containing 1), XRCC2 (DNA repair protein XRCC2), HNRNPD (heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein D), SAFB2 (scaffold attachment factor B2) or NEIL3 (nei endonuclease VIII-like 3) among others. So, these results suggest a great deficiency of the machinery associated with transcription and translation which might hinder basic cell functioning and thereby pre-implantatory development of parthenogenotes. Similar results of the main categories altered in biological processes have been observed before in gene expression profile studies of in vitro developed parthenotes. Processes such as proteolysis, peptidolysis, protein amino acid phosphorylation and cell transport showed to be the most representative upregulated in parthenotes, while nucleic acid binding and metabolic process were representative of the higher percentage of donwregulated transcripts in parthenotes [20,21]. To date, more than 100 imprinted genes have been identified in mice and many of them are also imprinted in humans [29]. In livestock animals, imprinted genes have also been identified [30,31,32,33]. However, to our best knowledge, few genes have been identified as subject to genomic imprinting in rabbit. All imprinted genes show either maternal-specific or paternal-specific mono-allelic expression, and their proper expression is essential for normal development, foetal growth, nutrient metabolism and adult behaviour [34]. We extracted informative probes from the microarray data that detected known or putative imprinted genes (Catalogue of Imprinted Genes; http://igc.otago.ac.nz/home. html). Of the 32 putative genes analysed in this manner (table 6), 6 were identified as conserved between rabbits, humans and mice; they included GRB10, ATP10A, ZNF215, NDN, IMPACT andSFMBT2. GRB10, SNRPN and CDKN1 were also shown to be imprinted in a previous work carried out with in vitro developed parthenotes in mouse [20]. In fact, the use of microarrays to analyse imprinted genes provided results in the same direction as quantitative allelic pyrosequencing.Genes from mouse with 1.8 fold-changes as a cut-off [20], 24 genes for early embryos and 5 for expanded embryos from bovine with 1.5 fold-changes as a cut-off [22] and 56 genes from buffalo with 1.4 fold-changes as a cut-off [21]. In this study, we observed that 1606, 557 and 199 microarray probe signals were changed in the parthenogenetic blastocyst using a minimum of 1.5, 2.0 and 3.0 fold-changes as a cut-off, respectively. The 199 probe signals represent 92 genes, of which 16 had lower expression and 76 showed higher expression in parthenotes than fertilised embryos, developed in vivo. In the present study, in terms of biological process categories, slight differences are observed between transcript percentage of up and downregulated genes. However, the main categories altered, related to transport and protein metabolic process, comprise more upregulated than downregulated genes. Genes with high fold-changes such as BZND6, ANXAL, MYL4 are involved in transport, while protein metabolic process includes genes such as ClUS, PPIL6 or CIRL. In contrast, regarding molecular function and cellular components, a higher percentage of downregulated transcripts are comprised. In this case, the mainTranscriptome of In Vivo Parthenote Blastocystsaltered categories are those related to DNA and RNA binding, both located in cellular nucleus and involving genes such as GTF2B (general transcription initiation factor IIb; X), CHURC1 (Churchill domain containing 1), XRCC2 (DNA repair protein XRCC2), HNRNPD (heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein D), SAFB2 (scaffold attachment factor B2) or NEIL3 (nei endonuclease VIII-like 3) among others. So, these results suggest a great deficiency of the machinery associated with transcription and translation which might hinder basic cell functioning and thereby pre-implantatory development of parthenogenotes. Similar results of the main categories altered in biological processes have been observed before in gene expression profile studies of in vitro developed parthenotes. Processes such as proteolysis, peptidolysis, protein amino acid phosphorylation and cell transport showed to be the most representative upregulated in parthenotes, while nucleic acid binding and metabolic process were representative of the higher percentage of donwregulated transcripts in parthenotes [20,21]. To date, more than 100 imprinted genes have been identified in mice and many of them are also imprinted in humans [29]. In livestock animals, imprinted genes have also been identified [30,31,32,33]. However, to our best knowledge, few genes have been identified as subject to genomic imprinting in rabbit. All imprinted genes show either maternal-specific or paternal-specific mono-allelic expression, and their proper expression is essential for normal development, foetal growth, nutrient metabolism and adult behaviour [34]. We extracted informative probes from the microarray data that detected known or putative imprinted genes (Catalogue of Imprinted Genes; http://igc.otago.ac.nz/home. html). Of the 32 putative genes analysed in this manner (table 6), 6 were identified as conserved between rabbits, humans and mice; they included GRB10, ATP10A, ZNF215, NDN, IMPACT andSFMBT2. GRB10, SNRPN and CDKN1 were also shown to be imprinted in a previous work carried out with in vitro developed parthenotes in mouse [20]. In fact, the use of microarrays to analyse imprinted genes provided results in the same direction as quantitative allelic pyrosequencing.
