Bone morphogenetic protein 1 is expressed in porcine ovarian follicles and promotes oocyte maturation and early embryonic development

In the present study, we tried to determine whether bone morphogenetic protein 1 (BMP1) plays a role in ovarian follicular development and early embryo development. We systematically investigated the expression and influence of BMP1 during porcine follicle and early embryonic development. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the BMP1 protein is expressed in granular cells and oocytes during follicular development, from primary to pre-ovulatory follicles, including atretic follicles and the corpus luteum. The mRNA expression of BMP1 significantly increased as the porcine follicles grew. Immunofluorescence analysis indicated that BMP1 was expressed in cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs), oocytes and porcine embryos during early in vitro culture. qPCR and western blot analysis showed that the expression of BMP1 was significantly up-regulated in mature porcine oocytes and COCs compared to immature oocytes and COCs. BMP1 is expressed in early porcine embryos, and its expression reaches a peak at the 8-cell stage. To determine the effect of BMP1 on the maturation of oocytes and the development of early embryos, various concentrations of BMP1 recombinant protein or antibody were added to the in vitro culture media, respectively. BMP1 significantly affected the porcine oocyte maturation rate, the cleavage rate and the blastocyst development rate of embryos cultured in vitro in a positive way, as well as the blastocyst cell number. In conclusion, BMP1 is expressed throughout porcine ovarian follicle development and early embryogenesis, and it promotes oocyte maturation and the developmental ability of embryos during early in vitro culture.