{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T17:50:01Z","timestamp":1787161801316,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,25]],"date-time":"2021-10-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1635120000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100007359","name":"Fondazione Banco di Sardegna","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["CUP J86C18000800005"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CUP J86C18000800005"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100007359","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Biology"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In vitro oocyte maturation (IVM) is a well-established technique. Despite the high IVM rates obtained in most mammalian species, the developmental competence of IVM oocytes is suboptimal. The aim of this work was to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of a liquid marble microbioreactor (LM) as a 3D culture system to mature in vitro prepubertal ovine oocytes, as models of oocytes with intrinsic low competence. Cumulus\u2013oocyte complexes of prepubertal sheep ovaries were in vitro matured in a LM system with hydrophobic fumed-silica-nanoparticles (LM group) or in standard conditions (4W control group). We evaluated: (a) maturation and (b) developmental rates following in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo culture; (c) expression of a panel of genes. LM and 4W groups showed similar IVM and IVF rates, while in vitro development to blastocyst stage approached significance (4W: 14.1% vs. LM: 28.3%; p = 0.066). The expression of GDF9, of enzymes involved in DNA methylation reprogramming and of the subcortical maternal complex was affected by the IVM system, while no difference was observed in terms of cell-stress-response. LM microbioreactors provide a suitable microenvironment to induce prepubertal sheep oocyte IVM and should be considered to enhance the developmental competence of oocytes with reduced potential also in other species, including humans.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/biology10111101","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,25]],"date-time":"2021-10-25T21:40:21Z","timestamp":1635198021000},"page":"1101","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["3D Liquid Marble Microbioreactors Support In Vitro Maturation of Prepubertal Ovine Oocytes and Affect Expression of Oocyte-Specific Factors"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5277-5698","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniela","family":"Bebbere","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stefano Mario","family":"Nieddu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Federica","family":"Ariu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9661-3201","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Davide","family":"Piras","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cell Dynamics S.r.l., Via Viola Cielia 62\/d, 40026 Imola, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sergio","family":"Ledda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2056","DOI":"10.1093\/humrep\/dex262","article-title":"An improved IVM method for cumulus-oocyte complexes from small follicles in polycystic ovary syndrome patients enhances oocyte competence and embryo yield","volume":"32","author":"Lolicato","year":"2017","journal-title":"Hum. 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