IN-VITRO MATURATION AND FERTILIZATION OF OOCYTES FROM NORWEGIAN SEMI-DOMESTIC REINDEER (RANGIFER TARANDUS)

Reindeer oocytes were submitted to in vine maturation, fertilization a nd culture (IVM,IVF,IVC) using the established procedures for bovine i n vitro embryo production. The study was conducted outside the main br eeding season. Semen was collected from epididymides immediately after slaughter, and was diluted in Tris-fructose-citric acid extender cont aining 6% glycerol and 20% egg-yolk and then frozen in liquid nitrogen . Following 24 h of maturation, cumulus expansion was complete, and 71 % of the oocytes reached Metaphase II (MII), with extrusion of the fir st polar body. Of the remaining oocytes, 22% were at the germinal vesi cle stage (GV), 2% at diakinesis and 5% at Metaphase I (MI). The perce ntages of fertilization and cleavage were 36.0 and 31.8%, respectively . Two of the fertilized oocytes developed to the morula stage after 7 d of culture.