Modern approaches for obtaining and cryoconservation of cattle embryos in vitro

Currently, the transplantation of embryos of farm animals is widely used in reproduction in many countries. However, due to the low efficiency and low survival rate of embryos, in comparison with artificial insemination, it is used mainly as an additional biotechnological method, aimed at more rational use of genetically valuable breeding animals and accelerating selection, especially in relation to the breeding nucleus. The use of the technology for in vitro production of cattle embryos (IVP - in vitro produced) makes it possible to significantly accelerate the intensity of animal breeding and is an urgent topic for study. Researches by many scientists are aimed at studying aspects associated with folliculogenesis, stimulation of poliovirus, and factors affecting embryos and oocytes, which can increase the effectiveness of this procedure. However, modern leaders in reproductive technologies, such as Agtech, Inc., IETS, Animal Reproduction Laboratory (Colorado State University) and others, do not give specific instructions and recommendations for the production of embryos in vitro, and the achievements in this area are described mainly in scientific publications. The article provides an overview of the key stages of modern biotechnological methods for accelerated reproduction of high-value farm animals, including follicle puncture and oocyte aspiration (OPU - ovum pic-up), oocyte maturation in vitro (IVM - in vitro maturation), sperm preparation and oocyte fertilization (IVF - in vitro fertilization), embryo cultivation (IVC - in vitro culture), as well as cryopreservation of the resulting embryos. The literature review presented in the publication touches upon the issues of folliculogenesis and oogenesis in animals, and some principles of neuroendocrine regulation of the estrous cycle and their relationship, when using various methods of obtaining oocytes. Publications of various authors over this topic made it possible to generalize the methods used and present them in the article at the form of summary tables, which describe the differences in temperature regimes of incubation, the conditions for transporting biomaterial, considered the main physical parameters of the external environment of oocyte cultivation; their fertilization and further development; highlights the characteristics and the composition of various nutrient media; methods for preparing sperm for oocyte fertilization are described, and summary data on the calibration of working solutions during centrifugation of sperm in density gradients are summarized, including some patterns of cryopreservation of embryos by various methods

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