Optimizing egg production for in vitro fertilization in zebrafish

Cryogenetics Services Inc.为研究、保护和水产养殖应用提供鱼类精子的短期和长期储存服务和技术，他们有兴趣将这项技术应用于斑马鱼，因为这种模式物种对生物医学研究的重要性日益增加。作为扩展，他们还希望开发短期和长期储存斑马鱼卵和胚胎的技术。为了支持他们的斑马鱼项目，低温遗传学需要以下信息：(1)对初级成年斑马鱼进行繁殖的最佳饲养方案；(2)在受精前收集和储存斑马鱼卵的最佳方案。要让圈养的雌性以可预测的频率产出高质量的卵子，就需要优化它们的非生物和生物饲养条件。因此，该项目的目标是制定方案，以最大限度地提高斑马鱼的产蛋频率和质量，并优化体外受精扩展液的使用。研究将集中在确定最佳的成虫摄食量和频率、产卵间隔时间、池内性别比例、使用激素诱导排卵以及受精前储存卵子的卵与繁殖器比例。

Cryogenetics Services Inc. provides services and technology for short- and long-term storage of fish sperm forresearch, conservation and aquaculture applications, and they have an interest in applying this technology tozebrafish because of the growing importance of this model species for biomedical research. As an extension ofthis, they also wish to develop technologies for short- and long-term storage of zebrafish eggs and embryos. Tosupport their zebrafish program, Cryogenetics requires information on (1) the best rearing protocols to primeadult zebrafish for breeding, and (2) the best protocols for collecting and storing zebrafish eggs prior tofertilization. Having captive females produce high quality eggs at a predictable frequency requires optimizingtheir abiotic and biotic rearing conditions. The objectives of this project are therefore to develop protocols formaximizing egg production frequency and quality in zebrafish and to optimize the use of extender solution forin vitro fertilization. Research will focus on determining optimum adult feeding amount and frequency,between-spawning time interval, within-tank sex ratio, use of hormones to induce ovulation, andegg-to-extender ratio for storing eggs prior to fertilization.