Electroactivation of zebrafish (Danio rerio) eggs

In zebrafish, initial egg activation by water after being discharged from the ovarian stroma is followed by normal cleavages only in inseminated eggs. When sperm (genetically active or not) is not used as activating agent, reproductive techniques (as either nuclear transplant or intracytoplasmic sperm injection are inefficient. In this work, three experiments of egg activation by electric stimuli were performed: In the first, six activation treatments were compared (Voltage x Pulses: 2.76 x 1; 2.76 x 2; 2.76 x 3 and 5.40 x 1; 5.40 x 2; 5.40 x 3). The group 5.40 x 3 showed the best results (32% activated). In the second experiment, an electrical treatment of 20 min was carried out. It consisted in a sequence of three equal electrical stimuli every 10 min (of 1 or 3 consecutive direct current square pulses for 20 mu s each and applied at two voltage levels, 2.76 V or 5.4 V). It was observed that the number of pulses negatively affected the rates of damaged and lysed eggs. Moreover, only the 20 min treatment with the combination of 3 consecutive pulses at 2.76 V showed significant differences with their respective control group (43% vs 18% activated eggs, p < 0.05). In the third experiment, negative effects of egg ageing were observed. In conclusion, the best activation treatment for intact (non manipulated) zebrafish eggs concerns sequence B3. The electro-activation stimulus proposed here would be the only one available once the egg has already been activated by water.