The lipid phase transition temperature (LPTT) of early and late stages oocytes of <i>Juncea fragilis</i> (a), <i>J. juncea</i> (b), and <i>Ellisella robusta</i>.

<p>Error bars indicate standard error of the means. Astrices represent significant difference between early and late stage at the same chilling time period (<i>p<</i>0.05).</p

The lipid phase transition temperature (LPTT) of <i>Juncea fragilis</i>, <i>J. juncea</i>, and <i>Euplexaura. robusta</i> oocytes at early (a) and late (b) developmental stages after chilling at 5°C for up to 144 h in filtered seawater.

<p>Error bars indicate standard error of the means. Astrices represent significant differences (<i>p</i><0.05) between LPTTs of <i>J. fragilis, J. juncea</i>, and <i>E. robusta</i> oocytes at the same chilling time period.</p

The lipid phase transition of <i>Juncea fragilis, J. juncea</i>, and <i>Ellisella robusta</i> oocytes at early (1a, c, and e, respectively) and late (1b, d, and f, respectively) stages, as determined from a Fourier Transform Infrared analyzer.

<p>The inflection point of the lipid phase transition curve from liquid crystalline to gel phase represents the the lipid phase transition temperature.</p

VSs of PG and glycerol are synthesized with EG and methanol at different concentrations.

<p>* Ten solutions in total are formed using PG and glycerol separately, both contain the same concentrations.</p><p>VSs of PG and glycerol are synthesized with EG and methanol at different concentrations.</p

Normalized ATP concentrations of <i>Junceella juncea</i> oocytes after vitrification in PG-based VS2 for 2 min.

<p>Error bars represent standard errors. The bars with different letters are significantly different (P < 0.05). Trial 1: PG-based ES1 for 15mins, PG-based ES2 for 10mins; Trial 2: PG-based ES1 for 15 mins, PG-based ES2 for 5 mins; Trial 3: PG-based ES1 for 10mins, PG-based ES2 for 10mins; Trial 4: PG-based ES1 for 10mins, PG-based ES2 for 5mins.</p

Flow chart of the experimental procedures.

<p>Flow chart of the experimental procedures.</p

Vitrification devices used in present study: (a) Cryoloop, the oocytes were loaded on the loop area (arrows).

<p>(b) Cryotop, the oocytes were kept on the top of cryotop sheet (arrows). The black dot on the tip of the sheet is for ensuring the position of the oocytes when under liquid nitrogen. (c) OPS, the oocytes were aspirated in the straw by pipette tip.</p

Biological and morphological characteristics of <i>Junceella juncea</i> oocytes observed using light microscopy.

<p>Scale bar = 300μm.</p

Minimum concentrations of CPAs required to undergo vitrification with the OPS, cryotop and cryoloop methods.

<p>Minimum concentrations of CPAs required to undergo vitrification with the OPS, cryotop and cryoloop methods.</p

The effects of PG-based ES1 (a), ES2 (b) and VS2 (c) on <i>Junceella juncea</i> oocytes at 5 and 26°C for different time periods.

<p>Oocyte ATP levels were normalized to that of the control. Error bars represent standard errors. Different letters represent significant differences between temperature and exposure time period for oocytes treated with the same solutions (P < 0.05).</p