Endogenous amino acid pool sizes in mouse eggs and preimplantation embryos

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Abstract
The endogenous pool sizes of 17 amino acids were measured directly in samples of mouse eggs, 8-cell embryos and blastocysts by estimation of the fluorescent product of the reaction of o-phthalaldelhyde and primary amines. Taurine, glycine, alanine, glutamate and aspartate were detected at high levels. During the transition to the blastocyst, most amino acid pools increased 2- to 3-fold, but the taurine and glycine pools decreased to about 50 and 10%, respectively, of the egg value. The amino acid distribution in cumulus masses was similar to that of the egg and embryo samples but different from that of serum.