TEM Aids in Understanding Developing Horse

Using a modern TEM, which can magnify images up to 250,000 times with high quality resolution, researchers examined 14- and 16-day-old embryos (about a half an inch in diameter) to better understand the unique aspects of the developing horse.
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At 14 days, it's shaped like a pear and has a clear line dividing its left side from its right. At 16 days, it resembles a shoe sole, and tiny beginnings of the very complex nervous system are popping up everywhere. For the first time in history, scientists are viewing the fine details of the equine embryo at major stages of early development, thanks to the use of the transmission electron microscope (TEM).

Although it was invented in 1931, the TEM has rarely been used to study horse embryos, especially those older than 12 days, according to Ingrid Walter, PhD, professor and researcher at the Institute of Histology and Embryology in the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria, and primary author of this new research. Using a modern TEM, which can magnify images up to 250,000 times with high quality resolution, Walter and her colleagues examined 14- and 16-day-old embryos (about a half an inch in diameter) to better understand the unique aspects of the developing horse.

"Almost all of the information (about equine embryos) in textbooks is based on other species and might not be true for the horse," Walter said. "This technique is essential to better understand equine development and to enhance in vitro fertilization techniques."

One discovery Walter made was tiny vesicles on the surface of the 16-day embryo which act as a sort of "pump" to absorb fluid. As the embryo travels for more than two weeks in the oviducts and uterus before attaching to the uterine wall, these vesicles provide access to the nutritious secretions of the uterine glands, she said. They were also able to more closely evaluate blister-like structures on the surface, which might serve as a stability and orientation system at the time the embryo attaches to the wall

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Passionate about horses and science from the time she was riding her first Shetland Pony in Texas, Christa Lesté-Lasserre writes about scientific research that contributes to a better understanding of all equids. After undergrad studies in science, journalism, and literature, she received a master’s degree in creative writing. Now based in France, she aims to present the most fascinating aspect of equine science: the story it creates. Follow Lesté-Lasserre on Twitter @christalestelas.

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