Effects of in Vitro Maturation Time of Oocytes on Sheep Nuclear Transfer Efficiency

[Objective] The study aimed to provide references for the time of oocyte maturation in vitro and enucleation in the course of sheep nuclear transfer(NT).[Method] Compared the effects of different maturation time of oocytes on enucleation efficiency and reconstructed embryo development by means of blind enucleation and fluorescence microscopy.[Result] Treatment of IVM(in vitro maturation)19-21 h was significantly higher than IVM 16-18 h treatment in oocyte maturation rate(P<0.05)and was significantly higher than IVM 22-24 h treatment in enucleation rate(P<0.05).Three treatments had no significant difference in cleavage rate and blastocyst rate(P>0.05),but IVM 19-21 h treatment was significantly higher than the other 2 treatments in average cell number of blastocysts(P<0.05).[Conclusion] The appropriate in vitro maturation time of oocytes was 19-21 h for sheep nuclear transfer,which could significantly improve the quality of blastocysts according to the cell number per blastocyst(P<0.05).

Pregnancies Resulting from Transgenic Embryos with Human Lactoferrin Gene Produced by Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer

[Objective] The aim of this study is to understand the effects of donor cell type,embryo stage,number and transfer position on the efficiency of goat transgenic clone.[Method] Using somatic cell nuclear transfer technology,the single goat fetal fibroblasts(GFF)and mammary gland epithelial cells(GMGE)harboring human lactoferrin(hLF)gene were transferred to the enucleated oocyte.Reconstructed karyoplast-cytoplast couplets were fused,activated,and cultured in vitro.Embryos at 2-8 cell stage were transferred into oviduct of synchronized recipients,and blastocysts were transferred into uterine horn.[Result] The pregnancy rate was similar between GFF and GMGE(oviduct transfer:26.47% vs.20.00%),and between oviduct transfer and uterine horn transfer(26.47% vs.25.00%)for GFF group;pregnancy rate in the group with the mean number of embryo transferred per recipient of 21.2 was significantly higher than in those the 5.93 group and 9.64 group(40.00% vs.26.67% and 21.43%).[Conclusion] These results indicate that pregnancy rate of goat transgenic clone couldn't be affected by donor cell type,embryo stage and transfer position but be done by the number of embryo transferred per recipient.In addition,the study also suggests the feasibility of making transgenic goat using GMGE as donor cells.

Human Pro-insulin Transgenic Calf Derived from Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer

The current study was undertaken to evaluate the possibility of producing a human pro-insulin transgenic cow by means of somatic cell nuclear transfer （SCNT）. A double selection system, Neomycin resistance （Neo^r） gene and enhanced green fluorescent protein （EGFP） gene linked through an inner ribosomal entry site （IRES） sequence directed by a Cytomegalovirus （CMV） promoter, was used for enrichment and selection of the transgenic cells and preimplantation embryos. Transgenes were introduced into bovine fetal fibroblast cells （BFF） cultured in vitro through electroporation （900 V/cm, 5 ms）. Transgenic bovine fibroblast cells （TBF） were enriched through addition of G418 in culture medium （800 μg/mL）. Before being used as a nuclear donor, the TBF cells were either cultured in normal conditions （10% FBS） or treated with serum starvation （0.5% FBS for 2-4 days） followed by 10 hours recovery for G1 phase synchronization. Transgenic cloned embryos were produced through GFP-expressing cell selection and SCNT. The results were the percentage of blastocyst development following SCNT was lower using TBF than BFF cells （23.2% VS 35.2%, P 〈 0.05）. No difference in the percentage of cloned blastocysts between the two groups of transgenic nuclear donor of normal and starvation cultures were observed （23.2% VS 18.9%, P 〉 0.05）. Two to four GFP-expressing blastocysts were transferred into the uterus of each synchronised recipient. One pregnancy from of seven recipients （21 embryos） was confirmed by rectum palpation 60 days after embryo transfer and one recipient has given birth to a calf at term. PCR and DNA sequencing analysis confirmed that the calf was produced using human proinsulin transgenic animal.

Development in vitro in Reconstitution of Embryo from Porcine Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer

In present paper,a study on reconstitution of porcine oocytes by using nuclear transfer with cumulus cells(CC) and fibroblast cells(FC) was carried out.Reconstituted oocytes which were the fusion with CC and showed a cleavage rate of 56.7%,developed into morula (11.7%) and blastocysts (6.7%) phases which were higher than those derived from the fusion with FC( P <0.05).The results of this study also involved the effects of oocyte collection method,activation protocol and maturational age of recipient oocytes during the in vitro develpoment of nuclear transfer embryos which were reconstituted with cultured cumulus cells.The cumulus cells synchronized in G 0/G 1 phases through serum starvation culture,were transferred into enuclated oocytes which were collected by aspiration or dissection method and cultured for 33 or 44 h.Reconstituted embryos were activated with a combination of calcium ionophore A23187 or electric pulsation and 6 DMAP,and cultured for 6 days.As for the oocyte collection methods,activation treatment in the presence of cytochalasin B and activation protocols did not affect the developmental rate of embryos reconstituted with 44 h mature recipients.However,the development rate of reconstituted embryos with 33 h mature recipients were significantly higher( P <0.05) by activation with the combination of electric pulsation and 6 DMAP.These results suggest that the reconstituted porcine embryos derived from cultured cumulus cells can develop into the blastocyst stage and that the development of the former could be improved for the reconstitution with young oocyte cytoplast after the activation with the combination of electric pulsation and 6 DMAP.

An Improved Enucleation Method of Bovine Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer

The aim of this work was to improve the rate of conventionally blind enucleation for bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer. The cross section of a 0.5 ml Eppendorf tube was attached with a sheet of 400 mesh/inch2-cell screen after the bottom of the Eppendorf tube had been cut, and put into a 1 mL Eppendorf tube. In experiment 1, the oocytes in the metaphase Ⅱ stage were placed on the membrane in the Eppendorf tube, and centrifuged at 1,000, 2,000, or 3,000 r/min for 10 min, respectively. The oocytes were stained with Hoechst 33342 and then the relative position of the first polar body to the chromosomes, and the efficiency of enucleation were evaluated. In experiment 2, enucleated oocytes were fused with granulosa cells, following centrifugation and enucleation, and the potential development of the reconstituted embryos was estimated. The results indicated that the rate of enucleation in oocytes after centrifugation at 2,000 r/min for 10 min was 86.6% with an angle less then 20° between the first polar body and chromosomes. The rate of enucleation in cells spun at 2,000 r/min was higher than that of controls （87.4% vs. 64.4%, P 〈 0.05）. Fur- thermore; centrifugation of recipient oocytes did not have a detrimental effect on the development of reconstituted embryos following nuclear transfer. In conclusion, centrifugation assisted enucleation may significantly improve the rate of bovine oocyte enucleation.

Embryonic stem cells generated by nuclear transfer of human somatic nuclei into rabbit oocytes

To solve the problem of immune incompatibility, nuclear transplantation has been envisaged as a means to produce cells or tissues for human autologous transplantation. Here we have derived embryonic stem cells by the transfer of human somatic nuclei into rabbit oocytes. The number of blastocysts that developed from the fused nuclear transfer was comparable among nuclear donors at ages of 5, 42, 52 and 60 years, and nuclear transfer (NT) embryonic stem cells (ntES cells) were subsequently derived from each of the four age groups. These results suggest that human somatic nuclei can form ntES cells independent of the age of the donor. The derived ntES cells are human based on karyotype, isogenicity, in situ hybridization, PCR and immunocytochemistry with probes that distinguish between the various species. The ntES cells maintain the capability of sustained growth in an undifferentiated state, and form embryoid bodies, which, on further induction, give rise to cell types such as neuron and muscle, as well as mixed cell populations that express markers representative of all three germ layers. Thus, ntES cells derived from human somatic cells by NT to rabbit eggs retain phenotypes similar to those of conventional human ES cells, including the ability to undergo multilineage cellular differentiation.

Highly efficient generation of GGTA1 knockout pigs using a combination of TALEN m RNA and magnetic beads with somatic cell nuclear transfer

The transcription activator-like effector nuclease （TALEN） technique combined with the somatic cel nuclear transfer （SCNT） method has been successfuly applied for creating geneticaly modiifed pigs. However, methods for isolating cels with bialelic indels requires further improvement because of the relatively low enrichment efifciency of mutated somatic cels. Moreover, little is known regarding the off-target effects of the TALEN system and the heredity of TALEN-modiifed pigs. In this study, an efifcient method to increase the enrichment efifciency of TALEN-mediated bialelic knockout （KO） cels was established, and corresponding geneticaly modiifed pigs with the expected genotype were generated whose off-target effect, fertility and heredity characteristics were aslo evaluated. Two TALEN pairs were constructed to target the porcine α-1,3-galactosyltransferase （GGTA1） gene locus. TALEN mRNA was transfected into the ear ifbroblasts folowed by the enrichment of α-Gal nul cels of minipigs using isolectin B4 （IB4） lectin and magnetic beads. A total of 115 cel colonies were formed and validated to beGGTA1 KO cels by sequencing and 10 bialelic KO cel colonies were used as nuclear donors for SCNT. ThirtyGGTA1 bialelic KO piglets were successfuly delivered and grew normaly. Seventeen potential off-target sites were investigated, and no off-target events were detected in the live piglets. To determine the fertility and heredity characteristics of TALEN-modiifed pigs, 10 mature founders were mated with each other and the mutations were determined to be transmitted to the F1 piglets. We established a robust and safe technology for developing geneticaly modiifed pig lines with expected genotypes for agricultural breeding and biomedical application.

Nuclear imaging for functional evaluation and theragnosis in liver malignancy and transplantation

Currently, nuclear imaging such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is increasingly used in the management of liver malignancy. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET is the most widely used nuclear imaging in liver malignancy as in other cancers, and has been reported to be effective in diagnosis, response monitoring, recurrence evaluation, and prognosis prediction. Other PET imaging such as 11C-acetate PET is also used complementarily to FDG-PET in diagnosis of liver malignancy. Additionally, image-based evaluation of regional hepatic function can be performed using nuclear imaging. Those imaging modalities are also effective for candidate selection, treatment planning, and perioperative evaluation in liver surgery and transplantation. Recently, nuclear imaging has been actively adopted in the transarterial radioembolization therapy of liver malignancy, according to the concept of theragnosis. With the development of new hybrid imaging technologies such as PET/magnetic resonance imaging and SPECT/CT, nuclear imaging is expected to be more useful in the management of liver malignancy, particularly regarding liver surgery and transplantation. In this review, the efficacy and roles of nuclear imaging methods in diagnosis, transplantation and theragnosis are discussed.

Multinucleon transfer dynamics in nearly symmetric nuclear reactions

Within the framework of the dinuclear system model,the multinucleon transfer dynamics for nearly symmetric nuclear collisions has been investigated.The reaction mechanism in the systems of 198Pt+198Pt and 204Hg+198Pt was investigated at beam energies around the Coulomb barrier.It was found that the isotopic yields are enhanced with increased incident energy in the domain of proton-rich nuclides.However,the production on the neutron-rich side weakly depends on the energy.The angular distribution with the beam energy was also analyzed in the multinucleon transfer reactions.Projectile-like fragments were produced toward the forward emission with increasing incident energy.The target-like fragments manifested the opposite trend in the transfer reactions.

Gene Transfer into Hematopoietic Cells of Mouse and Its in vivo Expression after Transplantation

We have shown previously that high-efficient gene transfer can be attained in primary hematopoietic cells using liposome-mediated gene transfer strategy. In order to examine the stability of gene expression mediated by this gene transduction protocol, we observed the expression of marker gene in vivo by using bone marrow transplantation (BMT) to engraft lethally irradiated mouse with the genetically modified hematopoietic cells. The results showed that the mouse transplanted with appropriated number of transduced cells remained alive andhealthy. The PCR analysis and G418 selection of the spleen colonies and bone marrow cells isolated from lethally irradiated animals 15 days and 30 days after injection of genetically modified bone marrow cells showed that the progeny cells of the transduced hematopoietic stem cells still contained and expressed the transduced genes, suggesting that the hematopoietic system is at least partially re-constructed by the stem cells with marker gene and that the stable expression of foreign genes in vivo can be attained by using this easy and harmless transduction protocol. These findings provide experimental basis for clinician to further investigate the biology of marrow reconstruction and the mechanism of leukemia relapse after BMT.

Cumulus-specific genes are transcriptionally silent following somatic cell nuclear transfer in a mouse model

This study investigated whether four cumulus-specific genes: follicular stimulating hormone receptor (FSHr), hyaluronan synthase 2 (Has2), prostaglandin synthase 2 (Ptgs2) and steroidogenic acute regulator protein (Star), were correctly reprogrammed to be transcriptionally silent following somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in a murine model. Cumulus cells of C57×CBA F1 female mouse were injected into enucleated oocytes, followed by activation in 10 μmol/L strontium chloride for 5 h and subsequent in vitro culture up to the blastocyst stage. Expression of cumulus-specific genes in SCNT-derived embryos at 2-cell, 4-cell and day 4.5 blastocyst stages was compared with corresponding in vivo fertilized embryos by real-time PCR. It was demonstrated that immediately after the first cell cycle, SCNT-derived 2-cell stage embryos did not express all four cumulus-specific genes, which continually remained silent at the 4-cell and blastocyst stages. It is therefore concluded that all four cumulus-specific genes were correctly reprogrammed to be silent following nuclear transfer with cumulus donor cells in the mouse model. This would imply that the poor preimplantation developmental competence of SCNT embryos derived from cumulus cells is due to incomplete reprogramming of other embryonic genes, rather than cumulus-specific genes.

Establishment of customized mouse stem cell lines by sequential nuclear transfer

Therapeutic cloning, whereby embryonic stem cells （ESCs） are derived from nuclear transfer （NT） embryos, may play a major role in the new era of regenerative medicine. In this study we established forty nuclear transfer-ESC （NTESC） lines that were derived from NT embryos of different donor cell types or passages. We found that NT-ESCs were capable of forming embryoid bodies. In addition, NT-ESCs expressed pluripotency stem cell markers in vitro and could differentiate into embryonic tissues in vivo. NT embryos from early passage RI donor cells were able to form full term developed pups, whereas those from late passage RI ES donor cells lost the potential for reprogramming that is essential for live birth. We subsequently established sequential NT-RI-ESC lines that were developed from NT blastocyst of late passage R 1 ESC donors. However, these NT-R I-ESC lines, when used as nuclear transfer donors at their early passages, failed to result in live pups. This indicates that the therapeutic cloning process using sequential NT-ESCs may not rescue the developmental deficiencies that resided in previous donor generations.

Whole-genome methylation analysis reveals epigenetic variation between wild-type and nontransgenic cloned,ASMT transgenic cloned dairy goats generated by the somatic cell nuclear transfer

Background:SCNT(somatic cell nuclear transfer)is of great significance to biological research and also to the livestock breeding.However,the survival rate of the SCNT cloned animals is relatively low compared to other transgenic methods.This indicates the potential epigenetic variations between them.DNA methylation is a key marker of mammalian epigenetics and its alterations will lead to phenotypic differences.In this study,ASMT(acetylserotonin-Omethyltransferase)ovarian overexpression transgenic goat was produced by using SCNT.To investigate whether there are epigenetic differences between cloned and WT(wild type)goats,WGBS(whole-genome bisulfite sequencing)was used to measure the whole-genome methylation of these animals.Results:It is observed that the different m Cp G sites are mainly present in the intergenic and intronic regions between cloned and WT animals,and their CG-type methylation sites are strongly correlated.DMR(differentially methylated region)lengths are located around 1000 bp,mainly distributed in the exonic,intergenic and intronic functional domains.A total of 56 and 36 DMGs(differentially methylated genes)were identified by GO and KEGG databases,respectively.Functional annotation showed that DMGs were enriched in biological-process,cellularcomponent,molecular-function and other signaling pathways.A total of 10 identical genes related to growth and development were identified in GO and KEGG databases.Conclusion:The differences in methylation genes among the tested animals have been identified.A total of 10 DMGs associated with growth and development were identified between cloned and WT animals.The results indicate that the differential patterns of DNA methylation between the cloned and WT goats are probably caused by the SCNT.These novel observations will help us to further identify the unveiled mechanisms of somatic cell cloning technology,particularly in goats.

Production of homeobox A10 gene transgenic pigs by somatic cell nuclear transfer

Homeobox A10(Hoxa10) gene is one of the most important candidate genes associated with the reproductive performance of humans and mice. Overexpression of Hoxa10 in mouse endometrium can increase litter size. Moreover, Hoxa10 plays a key role in regulating the embryo implantation of sows. This study aimed to generate transgenic pigs using Hoxa10 via somatic cell nuclear transfer(SCNT). We established seven Hoxa10-transgenic cell lines, and two of the cell lines were selected as nuclear donors for the transfer. A total of 1 270 cloned embryos were generated and transferred to five surrogate mothers(Landrace×Yorkshire). Eight cloned male piglets were produced including one with cryptorchidism. Six transgenic piglets grew up healthy and produced 56 offspring. Finally, we obtained six transgenic male pigs and 26 transgenic positive offspring that can be used to further study the regulatory mechanism of Hoxa10 on the reproductive performance of pigs.

Characterization of 14 anonymous nuclear loci in Pinus thunbergii and their cross-species transferability

We characterized 14 anonymous nuclear loci from Pinus thunbergii Parl., an important pine species native to Japan. One hundred and twenty-six single nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs） were identified from these loci, giving a frequency of 1 SNP per 51 bp. Nucleotide di- versity （0） ranged from 1.06 × 10^-3 to 11.87 × 10^-3, with all average of 4.99 × 10^-3. Only one locus （mK45） deviated significantly from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Thirteen of 14 loci were applicable in other pine species. These loci will be useful for nucleotide variation studies and will provide material for SNP-based marker development in P. thun- bergii and related species.

Factors Affecting the Efficiency of Embryonic Cell Nuclear Transfer in Rabbits

Factors affecting the efficiency of nuclear transfer （NT） in rabbits were examined in the present study. When 100 V mm of pulse strength and 15 us of pulse duration were employed, 3 and 4 electronic pulses resulted in significantly more cytoplasts fused with donor cells compared with 2 electronic pulses （P〈 0.05）, but no significant difference was found in the cleavage rate of reconstructed embryos among the three groups （P〉0.05）. When the duration and number of electronic pulse were fixed at 15 ps and 3 times, increase of pulse intensity from 100 V mm 1 to 150 V mm^-1 and 200 V mm^-1 resulted in a significantly decrease in the cleavage rate of reconstructed embryos （P〈 0.05）, although the fusion rate did not significantly differ among the three groups （P〉 0.05）. Significantly more reconstructed embryos cleaved and developed to blastocysts when they were derived from donor embryos at the 8-16-cell stage, in comparison with the reconstructed embryos derived from donor embryos at the compact morula stage （P 〈 0.05）, although the fusion rate was similar （P 〉 0.05）. Activation of cytoplasts prior to fusion increased the cleavage rate （P〈 0.05） and blastocyst development （P〈 0.05） of reconstructed embryos, but decreased the fusion rate （P 〈 0.05） compared with cytoplasts activated post fusion. More reconstructed embryos developed to blastocysts when they were cultured in TCM ＋ 3% OCS at the first 48 h and then cultured in TCM199＋ 10% FCS, in comparison with the reconstructed embryos cultured in either TCM199＋ 10% FCS or TCM199＋3% OCS （P 〈 0.05）. When 22 NT embryos were transferred into the oviducts of one recipient rabbit, one recipient rabbit delivered a female rabbit at 34 days of gestation. In conclusion, either electrofusion parameter or developmental stage of donor embryos have a significant effect on the efficiency of NT, NT embryos require different concentration of serum at their different development stages.

Studies on Nuclear Transplantation in Mammalian Embryos

A series of experiments were conducted to study the major procedures in nuclear transplantation such as oocyte enucleation and activation, electrofusion and developnent of the nuclear transplant embryos in the mouse, rabbits and sheep. The important results are as follows:11. In the mouse, only 35% of the oocytes collected 15～16 h after hCG had a notable first polar body (FPb) and those without FPb were enucleated by removing cytoplasm from the PVS-wider side and the enucleation rate was similar to that in the oocytes with FPb, and the enucleation rate of removing 1/3 cytoplasm was remarkably higher than that of removing 1/4 cytoplasm. 2. Among the three fusion media tested, mannitol and sucrose solutions produced better results than M2 in electrofusion of mouse 2-cell embryos. Under favorable pulse conditions, the osmotic pressure of fusion medium had no motable effect on electrofusion, but as the conditions became so unfavorable that some embryos began to lyse, the fusion rates in hypertonie mannitol solution were significantly higher than those in isotonic or hypotonic solutions. A wide range of pulse strengths (0.31～2.04 by/ cm) and durations(10～1280 μs) were used and 100% of fusion were obtained in many cases. Optimal pulse durations were plotted for field strengths to obtain high fusion rates (96%～ 100%) in mouse2-cell embryos. 3. With one pulse of 0.45 by / cm, satisfactory results of mouse oocyte activation were obtained only when the duration increased to 160 μs or longer. The activation rate increased as the oocytes got older. Some of the oocytes ar. rested at metaphase Ⅲ after electrical stimulation and their proportion to the number of oocytes not activated increased with egg age. 4. 10% and 31% of the nuclear transplant embryos developed to morula or blastocyst stage in sheep and rabbits, respectively, with Chinese-made hormones and chemicals.

Studies on Recipient Rabbit Oocytes in Nuclear Transfer

Studies were carried out to find out the optimal parameters of enucleation and electroactivation ofrecipient rabbit oocyte for successful nuclear transfer,using the fluorescent stain,DAPI(4-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole),and electroactivation.According to the position of metaphasechromosomes in relation to the first polar body,the oocytes were classified into three types:1.thosewith chromosomes juxtaposed to the polar body;2.those with chromosomes in its adjacency; and3.those with chromosomes further removed.The relative proportions of each type appeared to varywith the time of maturation at which the oocytes were collected,with those of the later typesincreasing as the maturation process went further on.In addition,in-vitro cultivation ofelectroactivated oocytes gave the best results with oocytes that matured in-vito after injection ofovulating hormones(LH or HCG)and oocytes that were cultivated in-vitro for 17-19 hours.As aresult,it is recommended that oocytes be selected from those collected from the oviducts 13-15 hoursafter injection of LH or HCG,and electrofusion and electroactivation be done aftermicromanipulation and in-vito cultivation for 2-4 hours.By so doing,it is expected to achieve thehighest enucleation rate of oocytes and the highest fusion rate,the highest activation rate and thehighest development rate of the restructured embryos.

Serial Nuclear Transfer of Goat-Rabbit Interspecies Reconstructed Embryos

The experiments of serial nuclear transfer were conducted between Boer goat and rabbit. The enucleated oocytes of rabbit were used as recipients while the blastomeres of goat morula was used as nuclear donor. The reconstructed embryos developing to morula were used as donor for serial cloning. As a result, two generations of reconstructed embryos were obtained, including 58 first generation reconstructed embryos and 14 second generation reconstructed embryos. The fusion rates were 79.5 and 70%, respectively, and there was no significant difference between them （P〉0.05）. The cleavage rates were 75.9 and 28.6% respectively with significant difference （P〈0.01）. No blastocyst was obtained from the second generation reconstructed embryos while 13.8% of first generation reconstructed embryos developed to blastocyst.

Factors Affecting Electro－Fusion and Electro－Activation In Serial Nuclear Transplantation In Goat（Carpa hircus） Embryo

The effects of the status of both donor and recipient cells (different maturity and different transplantation generations) on serial nuclear transplantation in goat were studied, using, as indices, electro-fusion rate, and the cleavage rate and development rate of the cultured embryos. As shown by the results,no significant difference in fusion rate was noted between donor cells of different maturity (recovered 26-28 hrs as against 32-36 hrs after LRH treatment ) and both types of donor cells responded to the given electrostimulation. With cells from ICM as donor, the fusion rate was lower than that using cells from 8-16 celled embryos and morula (G0: 0.01<p<0.05; Gl:p>0.05). The generation of transplantation produced no apparent effect on fusion rate. With the given electro-stimulation conditions, the average fusion rate was 88.58% fur GO and 89.38% for G1; average cleavage rate, 39.36%fur G0 and 47.75% for G1; and the proportion of embryos developing to morula and blastula was 15.17% for G0 and 18.2% fur G1.