Farrerol improves the maturation quality of porcine oocytes derived from small follicles associated with RAD51-related DNA repair responses
- Theriogenology. 2026 Jun 24:265:118052. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2026.118052.
- 1. Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266109, China.
- 2. Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, China; Kunpeng Institute of Modern Agriculture at Foshan, Agricultural Genomics Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Foshan, 528226, China.
- 3. Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, China.
- 4. College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266109, China.
- 5. Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, China; Kunpeng Institute of Modern Agriculture at Foshan, Agricultural Genomics Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Foshan, 528226, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
- 6. Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, China; Kunpeng Institute of Modern Agriculture at Foshan, Agricultural Genomics Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Foshan, 528226, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
The efficiency of porcine in vitro embryo production depends on the quality and quantity of oocytes that complete in vitro maturation (IVM). Oocytes derived from small follicles (SF, <3 mm) generally exhibit reduced developmental potential compared with those from medium follicles (MF, 3-6 mm), but the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This study investigated whether farrerol (FAR), a natural flavonoid reported to modulate DNA damage responses, improves the maturation and developmental potential of porcine SF oocytes. Compared with MF oocytes, SF oocytes displayed lower maturation and blastocyst formation rates, higher γH2AX fluorescence intensity, and lower expression of homologous recombination (HR)-related genes. Treating SF oocytes with 500 nM FAR for 36 h significantly enhanced cumulus expansion, first polar body extrusion, and blastocyst formation, upregulated HR and maturation-related genes, reduced γH2AX levels, and improved cortical granule and spindle morphology. Treatment with the RAD51 Inhibitor IBR2 suppressed oocyte maturation, the expression of HR-associated markers, and embryo development, while FAR partially alleviated these inhibitory effects. In summary, FAR improves IVM and developmental potential of porcine SF oocytes, and these effects are associated with modulation of DNA damage responses and RAD51-related repair pathways. These findings provide a potential strategy for improving the utilization of SF oocytes in porcine embryo production.