Ultrastructural Characterization of Porcine Growing and In Vitro Matured Oocytes

SIMPLE SUMMARY: During oocyte growth and maturation, the organelle’s morphology of porcine oocytes changed and populated different compartments depending on the differentiation status. Changes in ultrastructural or subcellular level of porcine oocytes during oogenesis/folliculogenesis were observed, potentially leading to future mitochondrion replacement therapies of oocytes. ABSTRACT: This study aimed to investigate ultrastructural changes of growing porcine oocytes and in vitro maturated oocytes. Light microscopy was used to characterize and localize the primordial, primary, secondary, and tertiary follicles. During oocyte growth and maturation, the morphology of mitochondria was roundish or ovoid in shape depending on the differentiation state, whereas their mean diameters oscillated between 0.5 and 0.7 µm, respectively, from primary and secondary follicles. Hooded mitochondria were found in the growing oocytes of the tertiary follicles. In addition to the pleomorphism of mitochondria, changes in the appearance of lipid droplets were also observed, along with the alignment of a single layer of cortical granules beneath the oolemma. In conclusion, our study is apparently the first report to portray morphological alterations of mitochondria that possess the hooded structure during the growth phase of porcine oocytes. The spatiotemporal and intrinsic changes during oogenesis/folliculogenesis are phenomena at the ultrastructural or subcellular level of porcine oocytes, highlighting an in-depth understanding of oocyte biology and impetus for future studies on practical mitochondrion replacement therapies for oocytes.