George E. Seidel, Jr., PhDUniversity Distinguished Professor Office: W129 ARBL Building, Foothills Campus Member Education Link to a PubMed listing of Dr. Seidel's
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Teaching Activities
I teach in the graduate course, Reproductive Physiology and Endocrinology (BS 640), and a companion laboratory course, Research Techniques for Gametes and Embryos (BS 642). Additionally, I teach the reproduction section of BS 501, our graduate physiology course.
Link to Course Materials for public use
Research Interests -- Reproductive Physiology
My main focus is on in vitro fertilization and culture of mammalian embryos, including the related areas of oocyte maturation, micromanipulation, and cryopreservation of embryos and oocytes. Most of this research is with cattle and horses. We are studying the pathways used by bovine embryos to metabolize gluose. We have found that oxidizing NADPH with phenazine ethosulfate decreases lipid droplets markedly in in vitro-produced bovine embryos. We have also found that fructose is superior to glucose for culturing bovine embryos in vitro.
Sperm capacitation treatments in horses and various in vitro fertilization media also are of interest. Zona-free and zona-intact bovine oocytes have been used as a model for studying capacitation of equine sperm. We have determined that capacitation of equine sperm occurs more readily when polyvinyl alcohol rather than serum albumin is the macromolecule in the fertilization medium.
We also have been studying genes that are newly expressed as day 17 embryos begin the first stages of implantation. We have coined the term "peri-attachment factor" for a newly discovered gene expressed at high levels between days 15 and 17 of bovine embryo development. Our most recent research concerns how bovine oocytes regulate mRNA. We have found that it is possible to inject radiolabeled RNA constructs into oocytes and successfully recover modified versions of the same construct some hours later.
We have been inseminating cattle artificially with unconventionally low numbers of sperm, including additives that enhance fertilization. These techniques were applied to produce the first calves using artificial insemination of sexed sperm.
Our research on cryopreservation of oocytes and embryos, both conventionally and via vitrification, is aimed at simplifying procedures without decreasing rates of survival. We also have developed systems for cryopreservation that have no components of animal origin, such as serum albumin, in order to decrease chances of spreading viral diseases.
For additional information on current projects, consult the pages on Reproductive Technology.
Representative Publications
Seidel GE Jr. 1981. Superovulation and embryo transfer in cattle. Science 211:351-358.
Williams TJ, Elsden RP, Seidel GE Jr. 1984. Pregnancy rate with bisected bovine embryos. Theriogenology 22:521-531.
Wheeler MB, Seidel GE Jr. 1989. Capacitation of bovine spermatozoa by lysophospholipids and trypsin. Gamete Res 21:193-204.
Ivani KA, Seidel GE Jr. 1991. A least half of capacitated, motile mouse sperm can fertilize zona-free mouse oocytes. J. Exp. Zool. 260:406-412.
Bowen RA, Reed ML, Schnieke A, Seidel GE Jr, Stacey A, Thomas WK, Kajikawa O. 1994. Transgenic cattle from biopsied embryos. Biol Reprod 50:664-668.
Romero-Arredondo A, Seidel GE Jr. 1996. Effects of follicular fluid during in vitro maturation of bovine oocytes on in vitro fertilization and early embryonic development. Biol Reprod 55:1012-1016.
Keller ML, Roberts AJ, Seidel GE Jr. 1998. Characterization of insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins in the uterus and conceptus during early conceptus elongation in cattle. Biol Reprod 59:632-642.
Amann RP, Seidel GE Jr, Brink Z. 1999. Exposure of thawed frozen bull sperm to a synthetic peptide before artificial insemination increases fertility. J Androl 20:42-46.
Seidel GE Jr, Schenk JL, Herickhoff LA, Doyle SP, Brink Z, Green RD, Cran DG. 1999. Insemination of heifers with sexed sperm. Theriogenology 52:1407-1420.
Olson SE, Seidel GE Jr. 2000. Culture of in vitro-produced bovine embryos with vitamin E improves development in vitro and after transfer to recipients. Biol Reprod 62:248-252.
Seidel GE Jr. 2000. Reproductive biotechnology and the "big" biological questions. Theriogenology 53:187-194.
Seidel GE Jr. 2001. Cloning, transgenesis and genetic variance in animals. Cloning and Stem Cells 4:251-256.
Seidel GE Jr, Garner DL. 2002. Current status of sexing mammalian spermatozoa. Reproduction 124:733-743.
Glover MD, Seidel GE Jr. 2003. Increased messenger RNA for allograft inflammatory factor-1, LERK-5, and a novel gene in 17.5-day relative to 15.5-day bovine embryos. Biol Reprod 69:1002-1012.
Tubman LM, Brink Z, Suh TK, Seidel GE Jr. 2004. Characteristics of calves produced with sperm sexed by flow cytometry/cell sorting. J Anim Sci 82:1029-1036.
Eldridge-Panuska WD, Caracciolo de Brienza V, Seidel GE Jr, Squires EL, Carnevale EM. 2005. Establishment of pregnancies after serial dilution or direct transfer by vitrified equine embryos. Theriogenology 63:1308-1319.
Preis KA, Seidel GE Jr., Gardner DK. 2005. Metabolic markers of developmental competence for in vitro-matured mouse oocytes. Reproduction 130:475-483.
De La Torre-Sanchez JF, Preis K, Seidel GE Jr. 2006. Metabolic regulators of in vitro-produced bovine embryos I. Effects of metabolic regulators at different glucose concentrations with embryos produced by semen from different bulls. Reprod Fertil Develop 18:585-596.
De La Torre-Sanchez JF, Gardner DK, Preis K, Gibbons J, Seidel GE Jr. 2006. Metabolic regulation of in vitro-produced bovine embryos II. Effects of phenazine ethosulfate, sodium azide, and 2,4-dinitrophenol during post-compaction development. Reprod Fertil.Develop 18:597-607.
Checura CM, Seidel GE Jr. 2007. Effects of molecules in solutions for vitrification of mature bovine oocytes. Theriogenology 67:919-930.
Barcelo-Fimbres M, Seidel GE Jr. 2007. Effects of either glucose or fructose and metabolic regulators on bovine embryonic development and lipid accumulation in vitro. Molec Reprod Develop. In Press.
Recent Abstracts