转人t-PA指形区缺失基因的山羊体细胞核移植及其继代核移植

为了探索转基因体细胞核经连续核移植后的发育潜力,以转人组织型纤溶酶原激活剂（t-PA）指形区缺失基因的山羊胎儿成纤维细胞为核供体, MII期的卵母细胞质为核受体,利用胞质内注射法构建原代核移胚胎(G0),并进行了原代核移植胚胎的继代核移植研究。比较原代和继代核移植胚胎在体外发育能力上的差异;在G1 、G2代核移植试验过程中,比较了供体胚胎细胞的发育阶段对核移植胚胎体外发育的影响。结果表明,原代核移植胚胎的卵裂率(76.45%±1.17%)与继代核移植胚胎的卵裂率(72.18%±1.97%,76.05%±2.38%,75.99%±2.84%)无显著性差异(P>0.05)。但原代核移植胚胎的桑葚胚率(47.20%±2.93%)、囊胚率(11.00%±1.42%)显著高于G₁、G₂、G₃代核核移植胚胎的桑葚胚率(34.99%±2.66%,28.23%±2.00%,23.34%±1.99%)、囊胚率(3.87%±0.67%,2.08%±1.66%,0);在G₁、G₂中,当用16-细胞期核移植胚胎作为核供体时的桑葚胚率(29.57%±1.53%, 24.43%±1.87%)、囊胚率(1.96%±1.31%, 2.01%±1.34%)低于用32～64-细胞时期的核移植胚胎的桑葚胚率(34.32%±1.31%, 29.76%±1.66%)、囊胚率(3.86%±1.03%, 3.48%±0.34%),但无显著性差异 (P>0.05)。由此得出结论：转基因体细胞核移植胚胎不宜进行多代克隆;胞质内注射法构建核移植胚胎,用32～64-细胞期的胚胎作为核供体构建的核移植胚胎的体外发育率高于用16-细胞期的胚胎作为核供体构建的核移植胚胎的体外发育率。     

共培养体系在牛核移植胚体外发育培养中的应用

采用电融合法构建牛体细胞核移植重构胚,分析共培养细胞类型、传代次数、细胞冻-融以及蛋白质添加物(BFF和FBS)对牛体细胞核移植胚体外发育的影响,探讨胚胎体外共培养的条件,以建立优化的共培养体系。结果表明与非共培养组相比,共培养组重构胚的囊胚发育率以及胚胎细胞数显著增加(P<0.05),而输卵管上皮细胞共培养组同颗粒细胞共培养组相比胚胎细胞数显著增加(P<0.05),更适合做共培养细胞;随着共培养细胞传代次数的增加重构胚囊胚发育率及胚胎细胞数显著下降(P<0.05),共培养细胞在冷冻处理后重构胚的囊胚率和胚胎细胞数都显著下降(P<0.05);BFF较FBS更能促进牛核移植胚的囊胚发育率(P<0.05)。表明应用新鲜原代输卵管上皮细胞进行牛核移植胚胎的共培养,并在SOFaa添加10?F能够有效促进核移植胚胎的体外发育。     

利用体细胞核移植技术制作人胰岛素原转基因牛 （英文）

通过体细胞核移植技术制作了人胰岛素原转基因牛。在CMV启动子指导下以内部核糖体进入位点序列(IRES)连接的新霉素抗性基因和绿色荧光蛋白基因组成了双重标记基因的筛选系统,用于转基因细胞的富集以及细胞和植入前胚胎的筛选。转基因通过电穿孔的方法(900V/cm,5ms)转入体外培养的牛胎儿成纤维细胞,基因转染细胞在添加G418 (800μg/mL)的培养基中培养10天以富集转基因细胞。选择表达绿色荧光蛋白的转基因细胞作为核供体进行体细胞核移植,重构胚经体外培养至囊胚阶段,选择表达绿色荧光蛋白的囊胚进行胚胎移植。为比较基因转染以及供体细胞所处周期对转基因细胞核移植胚胎发育的影响,用作核移植供体的转基因细胞或非转基因细胞先饥饿培养2—4天(0.5 ?S) ,然后恢复培养(10?S) 10 h使细胞同步化于G1期,以正常培养的细胞作为对照进行核移植。结果表明,转基因细胞作为核供体得到的核移植胚胎的体外囊胚发育率低于以非转基因细胞为核供体的对照组(23.2% VS 35.2 %,P<0.05) ;转基因细胞周期同步化处理与否对其克隆胚囊胚发育率无显著影响(23.2% VS 18.9 %,P>0.05)。胚胎移植后2个月直肠检查发现7头受体牛(每头移植2—4枚胚胎)中有一头妊娠,并最终发育足月产下一头小牛。聚合酶链反应(PCR)检测和DNA测序分析表明其为转人胰岛素原基因的转基因克隆牛。     

继代核移植能成倍提高来自奶山羊卵胞质体的异种间核移植重构胚的发育率

为了提高异种间核移植重构胚的发育率,本研究以体内排放的奶山羊成熟卵为供胞质的受体细胞,以人、兔、波尔山羊等的异种或亚种体细胞的原代核移植（Primary Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer,PSCNT）重构早胚（8-16细胞期）的卵裂球作供核体,观察经亚种或异种卵胞质体短期“修饰”的核再移植产生的继代（Secondary SCNT,SSCNT）重构胚的着床前发育潜能。结果：人、兔、波尔山羊的继代桑椹／囊胚发育率均显著地高于其PSCNT胚胎（人,14．81％VS．7．79％;兔,23．53％VS．12．50％;波尔羊,55．35％VS．24．53％）;这些早胚的各阶段发育时程仍遵循供核体动物正常受精卵的发育时程。结果启示：奶山羊成熟卵胞质对异种体细胞核亦具一定的去分化能力,能支持重构胚发育到囊胚;异种重构胚的发育特征是由供体核所决定的;继代核移植几乎能够成倍提高异种间重构胚的着床前发育率,提示核的去分化完全是在母型信息主导的调控之下完成的,而进一步发育的时序似乎是由核决定的：成倍延长在含母型信息主导调控环境中的时间能成倍提高SCNT重构胚的着床前发育率。     

用小鼠血液淋巴细胞构建核移植重构胚的研究

本实验用小鼠血液淋巴细胞为核供体进行了核移植研究。用淋巴细胞分离液(比重1.088)分离出小鼠血液中的淋巴细胞,直接用作核移植供体细胞,采用胞质内注射法成功构建的重构胚经常规培养2h后,SrCl_2激活处理6h,然后添加mM16培养液和小鼠输卵管上皮细胞饲养层共培养。把发育至早期囊胚阶段的重构胚转移至小鼠胎儿成纤维细胞饲养层上,添加ES细胞培养液继续培养。对孵化出的内细胞团进行消化,然后接种培养。结果显示,小鼠血液淋巴细胞可以支持体细胞核移植重构胚的发育,核移植重构胚2-细胞率41.03%(128/312),桑葚胚和囊胚发育率分别为9.29%(29/312),1.92%(6/312)。重构囊胚在小鼠胎儿成纤维细胞饲养层上分离出2个内细胞团,分离率为0.64%(2/312)。实验证实利用小鼠血液淋巴细胞进行体细胞核移植是可行的,可用于深入研究。     

利用体细胞核移植技术制作人胰岛素原转基因牛

通过体细胞核移植技术制作了人胰岛素原转基因牛。在CMV启动子指导下以内部核糖体进入位点序列（IRES）连接的新霉素抗性基因和绿色荧光蛋白基因组成了双重标记基因的筛选系统，用于转基因细胞的富集以及细胞和植入前胚胎的筛选。转基因通过电穿孔的方法（900 V/cm, 5 ms）转入体外培养的牛胎儿成纤维细胞，基因转染细胞在添加G418(800 μg/mL) 的培养基中培养10天以富集转基因细胞。选择表达绿色荧光蛋白的转基因细胞作为核供体进行体细胞核移植，重构胚经体外培养至囊胚阶段，选择表达绿色荧光蛋白的囊胚进行胚胎移植。为比较基因转染以及供体细胞所处周期对转基因细胞核移植胚胎发育的影响，用作核移植供体的转基因细胞或非转基因细胞先饥饿培养2—4天(0.5% FBS)，然后恢复培养(10% FBS)10?h使细胞同步化于G1期，以正常培养的细胞作为对照进行核移植。 结果表明，转基因细胞作为核供体得到的核移植胚胎的体外囊胚发育率低于以非转基因细胞为核供体的对照组(23.2% VS 35.2%, P<0.05)；转基因细胞周期同步化处理与否对其克隆胚囊胚发育率无显著影响（23.2% VS 18.9%, P>0.05）。胚胎移植后2个月直肠检查发现7头受体牛（每头移植2—4枚胚胎）中有一头妊娠，并最终发育足月产下一头小牛。聚合酶链反应（PCR）检测和DNA测序分析表明其为转人胰岛素原基因的转基因克隆牛。     

家兔供体卵裂球细胞周期对核移植胚胎发育的影响

通过化学药物处理使家兔桑椹胚卵裂球的细胞周期分别同期化于G1、S或G2期 ,然后分别移入去核的MⅡ期卵母细胞中 ,以研究供体核细胞周期对家兔胚胎细胞核移植效率的影响。试验结果表明供体核细胞周期对家兔核移植胚胎的发育潜力有明显影响 ,以G1期卵裂球为供体的核移植重组胚的激活率、卵裂率、桑椹胚、囊胚和孵化囊胚率及囊胚平均细胞数分别为 87 3% (32 2 / 36 9)、 84 9% (2 99/ 35 2 )、 71 5 % (193/ 2 70 )、5 8 0 % (76 / 131)、 35 1% (4 6 / 131)和 12 6± 4 8,显著高于S期 [79 6 % (10 9/ 137)、 74 4% (93/ 12 5 )、30 3% (33/ 10 9)、19 3% (17/ 88)、 6 8% (6 / 88)和 118 8± 3 5 ]、G2期 [6 3 6 % (70 / 110 )、6 0 % (6 0 / 10 0 )、16 9% (11/ 6 5 )、 16 3% (7/ 43)、 4 7% (2 / 43)和 110 6± 5 8]和未经同期化处理的卵裂球 [78 1% (185 /2 37)、 73 2 % (15 8/ 2 16 )、 49 4% (4 3/ 87)、 32 2 % (2 8/ 87)、 12 6 % (11/ 87)和 12 0 5± 4 4](P <0 0 5 )。来源于G1期卵裂球的 144枚克隆胚胎移植到 12只受体中 ,6只妊娠并产下 19只活仔 ,产仔率为 13 2 % ,显著高于来源于S期 (5 8% ,7/ 12 0 )、G2期 (0 ,0 / 12 6 )或未同期化卵裂球的克隆胚胎 (5 3% ,8/ 15 0 ) (P <0     

人-山羊异种核移植胚胎发育的初步研究

以体外分离培养的人胚胎成纤维细胞为核供体,经血清饥饿培养后,通过显微操作技术移入山羊去核卵母细胞中,采用化学方法激活重组胚.通过体外培养观察,2-细胞胚胎发育率可达51.33%,4-细胞发育率为31.42%,但发育至桑椹胚阶段的胚胎数目大大减少,仅为9.73%.虽然目前尚未能获得异种核移植囊胚,但实验结果说明山羊成熟卵母细胞可以支持人体细胞核完成重编程,人-山羊异种体细胞核移植重组胚可在体外完成其早期发育.     

牛体细胞克隆胚胎类ES细胞集落的筛选及其核移植

对第7d的牛体细胞克隆囊胚进行体外增殖培养,分离筛选类ES细胞,并对其进行了传代培养,接种在饲养层上的体细胞克隆囊胚细胞,在传代的24h内增殖形成小集落,2～3d有雀巢状的集落出现,筛选形态相同的细胞集落进行传代培养,4～5代后,皿底出现多个大小不等的多细胞单层集落,将传4～5代的细胞集落接种到无饲养层的4孔培养皿中培养,24h出现多细胞单层集落,4～7d长满皿底,并形成上皮样细胞,呈网状,将其作为核供体细胞进行核移植实验。结果有80%（40/50）核-质融合的移核重构胚发生卵裂,5%（2/40）发育至桑椹胚期,2.5%（1/40）发育至囊胚期,92.5%（37/40）停止在2～4细胞期,结果表明：采用牛体细胞克隆胚胎的类ES细胞进行核移植,具发育形成早期胚胎的潜能。     

体细胞来源及培养代数对核移植重构胚发育的影响

为探讨体细胞来源及培养代数对核移植重构胚发育的影响,实验采用电融合法将小鼠2—细胞胚胎卵裂球、胚胎干细胞(ES)、胎儿成纤维细胞、耳成纤维细胞、尾尖成纤维细胞、睾丸支持细胞和精原细胞以及不同培养代次的胎儿成纤维细胞进行了核移植。结果显示：2—细胞胚胎卵裂球供核重构胚发育最好,囊胚率为7．4％;ES细胞重构胚虽然发育率低,但仍有囊胚出现,比例为0．7％;胎儿成纤维细胞重构胚最高发育阶段为桑椹胚,比例为0．2％;精原细胞重构胚只能发育到8-细胞阶段,比例为0．3％;其他几类细胞重构胚则仅能发育至4-细胞阶段。不同培养代数的胎儿成纤维细胞重构胚除第3代外都可发育到8-细胞阶段,且发育率差异不显著,但第一代细胞重构胚2-细胞发育率(40．7％)显著低于2、3和4代细胞重构胚。结果表明：不同分化程度的细胞核移植后,重新编程的难易程度是不一样的,分化程度越高则重新编程越难;未调整细胞周期的ES细胞由于多数处于S期,所以重构胚发育率很低;体外培养传代有利于体细胞核移植后重新编程。     

Vitrification of rat embryos at various developmental stages

The effect of developmental stage on the survival of cryopreserved rat embryos was examined. Wistar rat embryos at various developmental stages were vitrified by a 1-step method with EFS40, an ethylene glycol-based solution, or by a 2-step method with EFS20 and EFS40. After warming, the survival of the embryos was assessed by their morphology, their ability to develop to blastocysts (or expanded blastocysts for blastocysts) in culture, or their ability to develop to term after transfer. Most (91-100%) of the embryos recovered after vitrification were morphologically normal in all developmental stages. However, the developmental ability of 1-cell embryos was quite low; exposing them to EFS40 for just 0.5 min decreased the in vitro survival rate from 76 to 9%. The survival rates of 2-cell embryos and blastocysts, both in vitro and in vivo, were significantly higher with a 2-step vitrification process than with a 1-step vitrification process. Very high in vitro survival rates (94-100%) were obtained in 4- to 8-cell embryos and morulae in the 1-step method. Although survival rates in vivo of 4-cell (40%) and 8-cell (4%) embryos vitrified by the 1-step method were comparatively low, the values were similar to those obtained in non-vitrified fresh embryos. When morulae vitrified by the 1-step method were transferred to recipients, the in vivo survival rate (61%) was high, and not significantly different from that of fresh embryos (70%). These results show that rat embryos at the 2-cell to blastocyst stages can be vitrified with EFS40, and that the morula stage is the most feasible stage for embryo cryopreservation in this species.     

Transgenic production from in vivo-derived embryos: effect on calf birth weight and sex ratio

We examined transgenic-cattle production by DNA microinjection into 1-, 2-, and 4-cell embryos, analyzing the impact on calf size and subsequent viability. Embryos were either collected at an abattoir by flushing oviducts from superovulated and artificially inseminated cows (in vivo-derived) or obtained by in vitro maturation and in vitro fertilization of oocytes aspirated from excised ovaries (in vitro-derived). A human serum albumin (hSA) milk-expression DNA construct was microinjected, either in one of the visible pronuclei of in vitro- and in vivo-derived 1-cell embryos or in the nuclei of two blastomeres of 2- and 4-cell in vivo-derived embryos. Microinjection-induced mortality (lysis and developmental block) was equivalent ( approximately 40%) for all microinjected embryos. Embryos were co-cultured with BRL cells in B-2 medium containing 10% fetal calf serum (FSC). Overall, embryo development to morulae/blastocysts was significantly greater for in vivo-derived ova (15.5%) than for in vitro-derived oocytes (9.3%). All morulae and blastocysts were transferred to synchronized recipient females on Days 6-8 post-fertilization. A total of 189 calves were delivered. Birth weights were significantly greater for calves generated from in vitro-derived oocytes compared with those generated from in vivo-derived oocytes. One transgenic bull calf was obtained from the microinjection of a 2-cell embryo. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of lymphocytes detected one transgenic integration site in all cells. Transmission frequency of the hSA transgene in embryos obtained through IVM/IVF/IVC utilizing the semen of the transgenic calf confirmed that it was not mosaic.     

Early embryonic development and in vitro culture of in vivo produced embryos in the farmed European polecat (Mustela putorius)

Early embryonic development and in vitro culture of in vivo produced embryos in the farmed European polecat (Mustela putorius) was investigated as a part of an ex situ conservation program of the endangered European mink (Mustela lutreola), using the European polecat as a model species. The oestrus cycles of 34 yearling polecat females were monitored by visual examination of the vulval swelling and, to induce ovulation, the females were mated once daily on two consecutive days. Sixteen yearling males were used for mating. The females were humanely killed 3-14 days after the first mating and the uteri and oviducts were collected for embryo recovery. Uterine and oviductal flushings yielded a total number of 295 embryos, representing developmental stages from the 1-cell stage to large expanded and hatched blastocysts. On Day 3 after the first mating, only 1-16-cell stage embryos were recovered. Between Days 4 and 6 after the first mating, 1-16-cell stage embryos and morulae were found. The first blastocysts were recovered on Day 7 after the first mating. The first implanted blastocysts were detected on Day 11 after the first mating. A total number of 85 embryos were in vitro cultured after recovery. Blastocyst production rates for in vitro cultured 1-16-cell stage embryos and for morulae/compact morulae were 68 and 84%, respectively. For all cultured embryos, the hatching rate was 15%. The in vitro culture requirements for the preimplantation embryos of the farmed European polecat remain to be determined before further utilization of the technique.     

人参皂甙Rg1对昆明小鼠早胚体外发育的影响

目的观察人参皂甙Rg1对昆明(kunming,KM)小鼠早胚体外发育的影响,为改善小鼠早胚体外培养体系奠定实验基础。方法以空白M16培养液为对照组,M16中添加浓度为5μmol/L、10μmol/L、20μmol/L Rg1为实验组,收集KM小鼠1-细胞胚进行体外连续培养,计数各组发育至2-、4-细胞胚、桑葚胚和囊胚等各个阶段的数目,比较各组发育至不同阶段的比率。结果添加Rg1实验组发育到桑葚胚和囊胚的比率明显高于对照组,其中以添加浓度为10μmol/L的Rg1实验组的效果最显著,其桑葚胚发育率为59.79%,而对照组只有19.17%(P<0.01)。10μmol/L的Rg1实验组囊胚发育率为17.82%,也明显高于对照组1.87%(P<0.01)。结论 Rg1可提高KM小鼠1-细胞胚体外发育到桑葚胚及囊胚的比率,以10μmol/L浓度的Rg1效果最显著。     

Survival of frozen-thawed sheep embryos cryopreserved at cleavage stages

This study evaluated the effect of freezing-thawing procedures on the viability of sheep embryos cryopreserved at various developmental stages. The survival rates of frozen-thawed embryos were compared with non-frozen counterparts. Embryos were recovered from the oviduct and uterus, at different days of the early luteal phase, and were classified at six different developmental stages: 2- to 4-cell (n = 72), 5- to 8-cell (n = 73), 9- to 12-cell (n = 70), early morulae (n = 42), morulae (n = 41), and blastocyst (n = 70). For each early cleavage stage and blastocysts, approximately half of the embryos, were frozen immediately by slow freezing with an ethylene glycol-based solution. The remaining embryos were cultured to the hatched blastocyst stage. All morulae and compact morulae were frozen after recovery with the same protocol. Cryoprotectants were removed using 1M sucrose solution, and then warmed the embryos were cultured to the hatched stage in a standardized in vitro culture. Embryo developmental stage had a significant effect on the ability to hatch following freezing (P<0.0001). The cryotolerance of the embryos fitted a regression (r2 = 0.908), increasing linearly from 2- to 4-cell embryos (17.1%) to morula stage (46.3%) and in a quadratic regression from the morula to the blastocyst stage (83.7%). Frozen early cleavage stage embryos had a significantly lower viability than their fresh counterparts (23.1 vs 83.1%; P<0.0001), with a similar rate of viability between fresh or frozen blastocysts (92.5 vs 83.7%). In conclusion, early sheep embryos are very sensitive to freezing per se and the survival rates following conventional freezing improve as embryo developmental stage progresses.     

牛-牛及山羊-牛克隆胚胎体外培养条件的优化

通过胞质内注射法将牛和山羊胎儿耳朵成纤维细胞分别注入去核牛卵母细胞中构建同种胚胎和异种胚胎。采用mCR2aa和mSOF分别培养,然后在mSOF中按不同培养时间添加8mg/mLBSA或者10?S,培养前3d和培养3d后添加的补充物质及次序为:(1)BSA FBS;(2)BSA BSA;(3)FBS BSA;(4)FBS FBS。根据培养胚胎的卵裂率、8/16-cell发育率、囊胚发育率及囊胚细胞数筛选出最好的培养方法。结果:(1)mSOF中培养同种胚胎和异种胚胎的卵裂率,8/16-cell发育率以及囊胚发育率均明显高于在mCR2aa中的培养结果(P<0.05)。(2)添加BSA FBS组的mSOF培养胚胎的卵裂率、8/16-cell发育率、囊胚发育率和囊胚细胞数同种依次为79.8%±7.1%、49.7%±3.5%、21.5%±1.8%和115.2±4.3,异种依次为40.1%±6.3%、29.2%±2.0%、13.4%±2.1%和100.1±3.0,均明显高于其他培养组(P<0.05)。结论:山羊-牛异种克隆胚胎可以用优化的牛胚胎培养体系进行培养。同种胚胎和异种胚胎的最佳培养方法均为前3d用mSOF BSA培养液,3d后用mSOF FBS培养液。     

Incidence of chromosomal mosaicism in human embryos at different developmental stages analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization

Chromosomal mosaicism has been reported in in vitro-cultured embryos at early cleavage stages, as well as in morulae and blastocysts. We have assessed the incidence and pattern of mosaicism during in vitro development of human embryos from early-cleavage stages to morula and blastocyst. Fifty spare embryos were fixed for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis for chromosomes X, Y, 13, 18, and 21 on days 2 or 3 (4- to 10-cell stage) (n = 16), on day 4 (morula stage) (n = 14), on day 5 (pre-expanded blastocyst) (n = 5), and the expanded blastocyst stages (n = 15). Blocked embryos (no cleavage observed within the last 24 hr) were not included. A total of 2367 cells were analyzed. Four early-cleavage stage embryos were found uniformly diploid; all of the others were mosaic for the chromosomes analyzed (mean diploid nuclei 48.3% +/- 28.7). All of the embryos at more advanced developmental stages, except one fully normal morula, had mosaic chromosome constitutions, with an increase in the percentage of diploid cells in morulae, pre-expanded, and expanded blastocysts, respectively (mean diploid nuclei 78.6% +/- 11.7, 66.0% +/- 20.8, 79.6% +/- 12.8), in comparison with earlier stages. Hypotheses about the origin of mosaicism and embryo regulation mechanisms will be discussed.     

Characterization of embryos derived from calf oocytes: kinetics of cleavage, cell allocation to inner cell mass, and trophectoderm and lipid metabolism

Embryos derived from calf oocytes were compared with adult cow oocyte-derived embryos (1) by studying the kinetics of embryo development using time-lapse cinematography (2) by evaluating the ratio between inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) cells in blastocysts (3) by measuring the triglyceride content of the blastocysts. The rate of calf oocyte-derived embryos reaching the blastocyst stage was reduced (26 vs. 46% for adult derived embryos). Calf oocyte-derived embryos preferably arrested their development before the 9-cell stage. Those that developed into blastocysts had cleaved earlier to reach the 2-cell or 3-cell stages than embryos that arrested before the 9-cell stage. The 9-cell stage tended to appear later in calf oocyte-derived embryo that reached the blastocyst stage than in adult-derived embryos. This difference became significant at the morula stage. Accordingly, the fourth cell cycle duration was longer for calf oocyte-derived embryos. Day 8 blastocysts from both sources had similar total cell numbers (calf: 89 +/- 20; cow: 100 +/- 30) and cell distribution between TE and ICM. The triglyceride content of day 7 blastocysts was similar for both sources (64 +/- 15 vs. 65 +/- 6 ng/embryo, respectively). In conclusion, calf oocyte-derived embryos are characterized by a higher rate of developmental arrest before the 9-cell stage and by a longer lag phase preceding the major onset of embryonic genome expression. These changes might be related to insufficient "capacitation" of the calf oocyte during follicular growth. Despite these differences, modifications in the quality of the resulting blastocysts were not detected.     

Cloning of bovine embryos by multiple nuclear transfer

The in vitro development of multiple generation bovine nuclear transferred embryos to blastocysts and their survival ability after freezing and thawing were examined. Parent donor embryos which had 20 to 50 cells were recovered from superovulated cows. Follicular oocytes matured in vitro were used as recipient oocytes. The recipient oocytes enucleated at 22 to 24 h after the onset of maturation were preactivated at 33 h. Enucleated oocytes with a donor blastomere were fused 9 h after activation by an electric stimulus and the fused oocytes were cultured in vitro (first generation). Reconstituted oocytes that had developed to the 8- to 16-cell stage 3 to 4 d after fusion were used as donor embryos for the next generation. Recloning procedures were performed twice (second and third generations). The proportion of recipient oocytes successfully fused with a blastomere increased with the cycle of nuclear transfer. Eighty to 86% of fused oocytes developed to the 2-cell stage and there was no significant difference with the generation. The proportion of reconstituted embryos receiving blastomeres derived from first generation embryos had higher developmental ability in vitro, than those derived from other generations (43 vs 31% for 8 to 16-cell stage, 37 vs 20 and 21% for blastocyst stage). The number of cloned blastocysts increased with repeated nuclear transfer (once: 6.2 +/- 4.3, twice: 19.8 +/- 9.2 and three times: 30.0 +/- 14.7) but varied greatly with each parent donor embryo. The in vitro viability of cloned blastocysts after freezing and thawing (59%) was low but not significantly different from that obtained for in vitro fertilized blastocysts (72%). After transfer of either fresh or frozen-thawed cloned blastocysts to 21 recipients, 10 of them were pregnant on Day 60. Four and 3 offspring were produced from 20 fresh and 14 frozen-thawed blastocysts,respectively.     

Substrate utilization in porcine embryos cultured in NCSU23 and G1.2/G2.2 sequential culture media

Embryo metabolism is an indicator of viability and, therefore, efficiency of the culture medium. Currently, little is known regarding porcine embryo metabolism. The objective of our study was to evaluate glucose and pyruvate uptake and lactate production in porcine embryos cultured in two different media systems. Oocytes were matured and fertilized according to standard protocols. Embryos were allocated randomly into two culture treatments, NCSU23 medium or G1.2/G2.2 sequential culture media 6-8 h post-insemination (hpi). Embryo substrate utilization was measured at the two-cell (24-30 hpi), 8-cell (80 hpi), morula (120 hpi), and blastocyst (144 hpi) stages using ultramicrofluorimetry. Glucose uptake was higher (P < 0.05) in two-cell embryos cultured in G1.2 than in NCSU23 medium (4.54 +/- 0.71, 2.16 +/- 0.87 pmol/embryo/h, respectively). Embryos cultured in G1.2/G2.2 produced significantly more lactate than those in NCSU23 at the eight-cell stage (9.41 +/- 0.71, 4.42 +/- 0.95 pmol/embryo/hr, respectively) as well as the morula stage (11.03 +/- 2.31, 6.29 +/- 0.77 pmol/embryo/hr, respectively). Pyruvate uptake was higher (P < 0.05) in morula cultured in G1.2/G2.2 versus NCSU23 (22.59 +/- 3.92, 11.29 +/- 1.57 pmol/embryo/h, respectively). Lactate production was greater (P < 0.05) in blastocysts cultured in G1.2/G2.2 (38.13 +/- 15.94 pmol/embryo/h) than blastocysts cultured in NCSU23 (8.46 +/- 2.38 pmol/embryo/h). Pyruvate uptake was also greater in blastocysts cultured in G1.2/G2.2 (24.3 +/- 11.04) than those in NCSU23 (11.30 +/- 2.70). When cultured in NCSU23 medium, two- and eight-cell embryos utilized less glucose than morulae and blastocysts, and two-cell embryos produced less lactate than blastocysts (P < 0.05). In G1.2/G2.2 media, two-cells took up less pyruvate than morulae or blastocysts, while blastocysts produced more lactate and utilized more glucose than two-cell, eight-cell and morula stage embryos (P < 0.05). As in other species, glycolysis appears to be the primary metabolic pathway in post-compaction stage porcine embryos. Culture medium composition affects not only substrate uptake, but also metabolic pathways by which these substrates are utilized in porcine embryos at several developmental stages.