影响小鼠孤雌胚胎干细胞的建系效率因素初探

目的检测孤雌胚胎干细胞系的建系效率与小鼠品系以及培养体系的关系。方法将小鼠MⅡ期卵子孤雌激活发育至囊胚,然后从囊胚内细胞团分离孤雌胚胎干细胞。结果杂交和近交系小鼠的建系效率没有显著差异,建系的培养体系中加入ERK抑制剂或者采用血清替代品KSR时,建系效率显著提高。结论小鼠孤雌胚胎干细胞的建系效率与小鼠的遗传背景并没有直接关系,而与分离内细胞团的培养体系密切相关。     

小鼠孤雌激活来源囊胚线粒体基因表达

为了探索孤雌胚胎和正常体外受精胚胎线粒体基因表达的差异,本研究用ICR小鼠孤雌和正常受精胚胎为研究对象。孤雌和正常受精的胚胎分别发育至2-细胞期和囊胚期的比率,用q PCR方法检测囊胚线粒体基因Cox2、tom40、tim23和cytochrome C,以及多能性囊胚质量相关基因Oct4、Sox2和nanog的表达水平。结果发现孤雌激活不影响小鼠卵母细胞的卵裂(95%vs 97.6%,p0.05),但影响胚胎发育到囊胚(39.4%vs 75%,p0.05),孤雌囊胚细胞线粒体Cyto C和Cox2显著高于体外受精组(p0.05);正常受精囊胚多能性基因Oct4和nanog表达水平显著高于孤雌组(p0.05),但Sox2表达水平显著低于孤雌组(p0.05)。本研究表明孤雌激活可影响胚胎线粒体和细胞基因表达水平。     

“人造精子”与CRISPR-Cas

小鼠单倍体胚胎干细胞系的建立为遗传学的正反向筛选提供了一种简便而又有效的工具。除此之外,孤雄单倍体胚胎干细胞能替代精子使卵母细胞"受精"这一特性,更是实现了从细胞水平向动物水平的完美转变。无论是从制备多基因遗传操作动物模型的角度,还是在小鼠个体水平遗传筛选的层面,孤雄单倍体胚胎干细胞的出现都将为基因功能学研究带来新的生命力。然而,孤雄单倍体的"受精"能力极其有限,其产生健康半克隆小鼠的效率仅约2%,这也成为孤雄单倍体在个体水平广泛应用所面临并且亟需突破的一大瓶颈。通过正反面的实验验证,中国科学院上海生命科学研究院生物化学与细胞生物学研究所李劲松课题组发现,雄性印记区域H19-DMR和IG-DMR的异常去甲基化是半克隆小鼠发育异常的"祸根"。通过敲除这两个DMR,成功将半克隆小鼠的出生效率提高至20%,为利用孤雄单倍体获得多基因遗传操作动物模型提供了最根本有力的保障。最后,结合CRISPR-Cas9技术,他们创建了孤雄单倍体的sg RNA文库,并成功将此"细胞文库"转化成携带基因突变的"小鼠文库",由此创建了"个体水平"遗传筛选的新方法、新思路。     

Xist基因抑制对牛SCNT早期胚胎发育的影响

Xist是与X染色体失活相关的非编码基因,它在合子期基因组开始表达,是胚胎发育早期表达的第一个印记基因。探讨了特异性抑制Xist的TALER-REPRESSOR(TALER)载体转染到胎牛成纤维细胞对Xist基因的抑制作用,并以抑制Xist基因表达的细胞作为核供体制作克隆胚胎,研究Xist基因抑制对牛克隆胚早期发育的影响。结果显示,与对照组细胞相比,TALER载体将Xist相对表达量下调了93.85%,说明本试验设计的载体转染系统能够有效抑制Xist基因的表达。选取Xist抑制表达阳性的转染细胞用于体细胞核移植试验,克隆胚胎发育结果显示,试验组和对照组的卵裂率、8细胞发育率、桑葚胚发育率和囊胚发育率分别为78.8%vs 75.1%(P0.05,无显著差异)、54.4%vs 50.6%(P0.05,无显著差异)、12.3%vs 27.8%(P0.01,差异极显著)、0 vs 26.6%(P0.01,差异极显著)。综上所述,试实验设计的特异性抑制Xist表达的TALER载体可有效抑制雌性胎牛成纤维细胞中Xist的表达。供体细胞Xist这种基因下调可使克隆胚胎2-8细胞率略有提升,但囊胚期和桑葚胚率明显降低。因此,其机制尚待于进一步探讨。     

小鼠孤雌胚胎干细胞系的建立及生物学特性鉴定

目的:探讨建立合适的小鼠孤雌胚胎干细胞建系方法。方法:采用氯化锶联合细胞松弛素B激活B6D2F1杂交小鼠卵母细胞,所获得的囊胚与桑椹胚分别用于孤雌胚胎干细胞的建系,观察两者的建系成功率。结果:共建立了12株小鼠孤雌胚胎干细胞系,这些细胞SSEA-1抗原阳性,SSEA-4,TRA-1-81,TRA-1-60表面抗原阴性,具有AKP活性,保持正常染色体核型,体内外分化分别形成畸胎瘤和拟胚体。结论:采用囊胚和去透明带的桑葚胚建立孤雌胚胎干细胞系获得成功。该方法为人类纯合子的胚胎干细胞建系提供基础,在自体细胞治疗领域中具有潜在的应用价值。     

牛不同供体核克隆囊胚Xist基因DNA甲基化程度的比较研究

利用亚硫酸氢盐测序法分析Holstein奶牛胎儿成纤维细胞(FFB)和输卵管上皮细胞(FOV)来源的克隆囊胚Xist基因DNA甲基化状况,以体外受精囊胚(IVF)和供体细胞作对照.克隆囊胚Xist基因处于较低程度的DNA甲基化状态,其中,FFB来源的克隆囊胚Xist基因DNA甲基化程度为43%,而FOV来源的克隆囊胚仅为17%.在体外受精囊胚中,Xist基因DNA甲基化处于中等状态,为49%.然而,在体细胞中,Xist基因的甲基化程度较高,FFB为66%,FOV为63%.这些结果说明,Xist基因DNA甲基化是可以被重编程的,所检测的CpG岛可能调节Xist基因的表达.结合已发表的实验数据,在同一个体中,FFB来源的克隆囊胚发育率比FOV的低,但其克隆牛胎儿的妊娠率和产犊率比FOV的高,这暗示不同供体核克隆囊胚的重编程是有差异的,并可能影响到胚胎及个体的发育.     

Oct4基因在猪孤雌激活和体外受精早期胚胎中的表达特征

目的研究植入前胚胎发育重要基因Oct4在猪孤雌和体外受精胚胎中的表达特征。方法收集成熟卵母细胞、孤雌和体外受精2细胞、4细胞、8细胞胚胎和囊胚,做荧光即时定量PCR检测,以体外成熟的猪卵母细胞做对照分析相对表达量。结果孤雌组和体外受精组胚胎在8细胞期Oct4表达量均最高(P<0.05),在孤雌和体外受精组囊胚相对于其他时期Oct4表达量最低(P<0.05)。在同一时期孤雌和体外受精胚胎上Oct4表达并没有差异。结论多能性基因Oct4在卵裂发育时期表达量动态变化,孤雌胚胎在一定程度上可作为体外胚胎基因表达的模型,且不同的胚胎培养条件可能导致基因表达的差异。     

昆明小鼠原核胚在不同培养液中的体外发育

目的优化昆明小鼠原核胚胎体外培养系统,提高胚胎发育率.方法小鼠经超排获得原核期胚胎,制备小鼠输卵管上皮共培养系统,使用M16、CZB和KSOM培养液进行体外培养,并对体内和体外发育的囊胚细胞计数.结果在KSOM和CZB中添加胎牛血清能显著提高胚胎囊胚发育率(14.71%对85.71%;6.45%对10.81%);输卵管上皮共培养可以提高胚胎的卵裂率和囊胚发育率,同时提高胚胎质量和同步发育,小鼠胚胎在KSOMFBS中囊胚发育率达85.19%,显著高于CZB和M16.结论在小鼠输卵管上皮共培养条件下,KSOMFBS能够很好支持昆明小鼠原核期胚胎体外发育.     

小鼠孤雌胚胎干细胞的建立及其向运动神经元分化的初探

文章采用小鼠的孤雌囊胚建立胚胎干细胞系,探究其向运动神经元分化的可能,为临床治疗以及研究基因组印记与神经分化的的关系提供理论基础。结果表明:卵母细胞孤雌激活率达到93.26%,成功建立了8个孤雌胚胎干细胞系,建系率达到23.53%。克隆表达多潜能标记Oct4及细胞表面标记SSEA-1,有高水平的碱性磷酸酶活性,在细胞第10代和第30代时核型分析检测显示为正常的40条染色体。体内、外均分化出三胚层来源的细胞。联合应用全反式维甲酸(RA)、音猬因子(Shh)及细胞外基质,小鼠孤雌胚胎干细胞可被诱导表达运动神经元的标志性标记HB9、Olig2。     

慢病毒介导的牛生长素基因对小鼠胚胎发育的研究

生长素是促进动物生长发育所必需的激素之一。本研究探索牛生长激素(bovine growth hormone,bGH)对小鼠胚胎发育的影响。将牛生长激素基因连接到慢病毒载体(Lenti-CMV-EF1-eGFP)形成Lenti-CMV-bGH/EF1-eGFP,重组病毒经293T细胞包装后直接感染小鼠胚胎和G1胚胎干细胞(embryonicstemcells,ESCs)。阳性表达的胚胎经体外培养,发育到囊胚期的胚胎进行胚胎移植,为直接感染组。感染的小鼠G1胚胎干细胞注射到正常昆明白小鼠囊胚制作嵌合胚胎后进行胚胎移植,为嵌合体组。分别解剖3只妊娠15d的直接感染组和嵌合组的小鼠,观察受体小鼠妊娠情况。结果发现,在1-细胞期感染胚胎,感染效率可达(74.7±6.7)%,在2-细胞期连续感染,感染效率为(79.4±5.7)%,两组感染方法的效率没有显著差异(P>0.05)。1次和2次感染胚胎发育和正常胚胎之间没有显著差异((87.6±3.5)%,(85.4±6.3)%VS(83.0±5.5)%,P>0.05)。所有移植的胚胎没有发育到足月,解剖妊娠15d的小鼠,发现直接感染组没有妊娠,嵌合组胎盘发育正常,但胚胎部分已经死亡和被吸收。因此,本研究证明bGH对小鼠附着前胚胎发育没有影响,但影响小鼠胚胎附着后的发育。这为后期bGH的研究提供参考。     

Diploid,but not haploid,human embryonic stem cells can be derived from microsurgically repaired tripronuclear human zygotes

Human embryonic stem cells have shown tremendous potential in regenerative medicine, and the recent progress in haploid embryonic stem cells provides new insights for future applications of embryonic stem cells. Disruption of normal fertilized embryos remains controversial; thus, the development of a new source for human embryonic stem cells is important for their usefulness. Here, we investigated the feasibility of haploid and diploid embryo reconstruction and embryonic stem cell derivation using microsurgically repaired tripronuclear human zygotes. Diploid and haploid zygotes were successfully reconstructed, but a large proportion of them still had a tripolar spindle assembly. The reconstructed embryos developed to the blastocyst stage, although the loss of chromosomes was observed in these zygotes. Finally, triploid and diploid human embryonic stem cells were derived from tripronuclear and reconstructed zygotes (from which only one pronucleus was removed), but haploid human embryonic stem cells were not successfully derived from the reconstructed zygotes when two pronuclei were removed. Both triploid and diploid human embryonic stem cells showed the general characteristics of human embryonic stem cells. These results indicate that the lower embryo quality resulting from abnormal spindle assembly contributed to the failure of the haploid embryonic stem cell derivation. However, the successful derivation of diploid embryonic stem cells demonstrated that microsurgical tripronuclear zygotes are an alternative source of human embryonic stem cells. In the future, improving spindle assembly will facilitate the application of triploid zygotes to the field of haploid embryonic stem cells.     

Development of sheep androgenetic embryos is boosted following transfer of male pronuclei into androgenetic hemizygotes

Androgenetic embryos are useful model for investigating the contribution of the paternal genome to embryonic development. Little work has been done with androgenetic embryo production in domestic animals. The aim of this study was the production of diploid androgenetic sheep embryos. In vitro matured sheep oocytes were enucleated and fertilized in vitro; parthenogenetic and normally fertilized embryos were also produced as a control. Fifteen hours after in vitro fertilization (IVF), presumptive zygotes were centrifuged and scored for the number of pronucleus. IVF, parthenogenetic, and androgenetic embryos (haploid, diploid, and triploid) were cultured in SOFaa medium with bovine serum albumin (BSA). The proportion of oocytes with polyspermic fertilization increased linearly with increasing sperm concentration. After IVF, there was no significant difference in early cleavage and morula formation rates between the groups, while there was a significant difference on blastocyst development between IVF, parthenogenetic, and androgenetic embryos, the last ones displaying poor developmental potential (IVF, parthenogenetic, and haploid, diploid, and triploid androgenetic embryos: 43%, 38%, 0%, 2%, and 2%, respectively). In order to boost androgenetic embryonic development, we produced diploid androgenetic embryos through pronuclear transfer. Single pronuclei were aspirated with a bevelled pipette from haploid or diploid embryos and transferred into the perivitelline space of other haploid embryos, and the zygotes were reconstructed by electrofusion. Fusion rates approached 100%. Pronuclear transfer significantly increased blastocyst development (IVF, parthenogenetic, androgenetic: Diploid into Haploid, and Haploid into Haploid: 42%, 42%, 19%, and 3%, respectively); intriguingly, the Haploid + Diploid group showed the highest development to blastocyst stage. The main findings of our study are: (1) sheep androgenetic embryos display poor developmental ability compared with IVF and parthenogenetic embryos; (2) diploid androgenetic embryos produced by pronuclear exchange developed in higher proportion to blastocyst stage, particularly in the Diploid-Haploid group. In conclusion, pronuclear transfer is an effective method to produce sheep androgenetic blastocysts.     

Medaka cleavage embryos are capable of generating ES-like cell cultures

Mammalian embryos at the blastocyst stage have three major lineages, which in culture can give rise to embryonic stem (ES) cells from the inner cell mass or epiblast, trophoblast stem cells from the trophectoderm, and primitive endoderm stem cells. None of these stem cells is totipotent, because they show gene expression profiles characteristic of their sources and usually contribute only to the lineages of their origins in chimeric embryos. It is unknown whether embryos prior to the blastocyst stage can be cultivated towards totipotent stem cell cultures. Medaka is an excellent model for stem cell research. This laboratory fish has generated diploid and even haploid ES cells from the midblastula embryo with ~2000 cells. Here we report in medaka that dispersed cells from earlier embryos can survive, proliferate and attach in culture. We show that even 32-cells embryos can be dissociated into individual cells capable of producing continuously growing ES-like cultures. Our data point to the possibility to derive stable cell culture from cleavage embryos in this organism.     

Developmental Potential of Haploid-derived Parthenogenetic Cells in Mouse Chimeric Embryos1

Studies were made on the contribution of haploid-derived parthenogenetic cells to haploid parthenogenetic ? fertilized chimeric embryos on day 9 and 10 of pregnancy. In most cases, the contribution of haploid-derived parthenogenetic cells to embryonic tissues was higher than that to extraembryonic tissues. The contribution of haploid-derived cells to embryonic tissues of some chimeras was more than 90%. Chromosomal analysis showed that actively dividing cells in most chimeric embryos contained about 40 chromosomes, indicating that they were diploidized, as haploid parthenogenetic blastocysts have about 20 chromosomes. Results suggested that haploid-derived parthehogenetic cells in chimeric embryos diploidized spontaneously after the blastocyst stage. These cells were capable of differentiating into most cell types of embryonic tissues, but scarcely differentiated into extraembryonic tissues of day 9 embryos. The fate of haploid-derived parthenogenetic cells during postimplantational development was similar to that of diploid parthenogenetic cells that had been diploidized experimentally in the one-cell stage.     

Androgenetic mouse embryonic stem cells are pluripotent and cause skeletal defects in chimeras: implications for genetic imprinting

The inviability of diploid androgenetic and parthenogenetic embryos suggests imprinting of paternal and maternal genes during germ cell development, and differential expression of loci depending on parental inheritance appears to be involved. To facilitate identification of imprinted genes, we have derived diploid androgenetic embryonic stem (ES) cell lines. In contrast to normal ES cells, they form tumors composed almost entirely of striated muscle when injected subcutaneously into adult mice. They also form chimeras following blastocyst injection, although many chimeras die at early postnatal stages. Surviving chimeras develop skeletal abnormalities, particularly in the rib cartilage. These results demonstrate that androgenetic ES cells are pluripotent and point to stage- and cell-specific expression of developmentally important imprinted genes.     

No relationship between embryo morphology and successful derivation of human embryonic stem cell lines

Background

The large number (30) of permanent human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines and additional 29 which did not continue growing, in our laboratory at Karolinska Institutet have given us a possibility to analyse the relationship between embryo morphology and the success of derivation of hESC lines. The derivation method has been improved during the period 2002–2009, towards fewer xeno-components. Embryo quality is important as regards the likelihood of pregnancy, but there is little information regarding likelihood of stem cell derivation.

Methods

We evaluated the relationship of pronuclear zygote stage, the score based on embryo morphology and developmental rate at cleavage state, and the morphology of the blastocyst at the time of donation to stem cell research, to see how they correlated to successful establishment of new hESC lines.

Results

Derivation of hESC lines succeeded from poor quality and good quality embryos in the same extent. In several blastocysts, no real inner cell mass (ICM) was seen, but permanent well growing hESC lines could be established. One tripronuclear (3PN) zygote, which developed to blastocyst stage, gave origin to a karyotypically normal hESC line.

Conclusion

Even very poor quality embryos with few cells in the ICM can give origin to hESC lines.     

Culturing in vitro produced blastocysts in sequential media promotes ES cell derivation

Embryonic stem (ES) cell lines are routinely derived from in vivo produced blastocysts. We investigated the efficiency of ES cells derivation from in vitro produced blastocysts either in monoculture or sequential culture. Zygotes from hybrid F1 B6D2 mice were cultured in vitro to the blastocyst stage in Potassium (K(+)) simplex optimised medium (KSOM) throughout or in KSOM and switched to COOK blastocyst medium on day 3 (KSOM-CBM). Blastocysts were explanted on a feeder layer of mitomycin C-inactivated murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) in TX-WES medium for ES cell derivation. Sequential KSOM-CBM resulted in improved blastocyst formation compared to KSOM monoculture. ES cells were obtained from 32.1% of explanted blastocsyts cultured in KSOM-CBM versus 18.4% in KSOM alone. ES cell lines were characterized by morphology, expression of SSEA-1, Oct-4 and alkaline phosphatase activity, and normal karyotype. These results indicate that in vitro culture systems to produce blastocysts can influence the efficiency of ES cell line derivation.     

X-chromosome inactivation in XX androgenetic mouse embryos surviving implantation

Using genetic and cytogenetic markers, we assessed early development and X-chromosome inactivation (X-inactivation) in XX mouse androgenones produced by pronuclear transfer. Contrary to the current view, XX androgenones are capable of surviving to embryonic day 7.5, achieving basically random X-inactivation in all tissues including those derived from the trophectoderm and primitive endoderm that are characterized by paternal X-activation in fertilized embryos. This finding supports the hypothesis that in fertilized female embryos, the maternal X chromosome remains active until the blastocyst stage because of a rigid imprint that prevents inactivation, whereas the paternal X chromosome is preferentially inactivated in extra-embryonic tissues owing to lack of such imprint. In spite of random X-inactivation in XX androgenones, FISH analyses revealed expression of stable Xist RNA from every X chromosome in XX and XY androgenonetic embryos from the four-cell to morula stage. Although the occurrence of inappropriate X-inactivation was further suggested by the finding that Xist continues ectopic expression in a proportion of cells from XX and XY androgenones at the blastocyst and the early egg cylinder stage, a replication banding study failed to provide positive evidence for inappropriate X-inactivation at E6. 5.     

Promotion of Human Early Embryonic Development and Blastocyst Outgrowth In Vitro Using Autocrine/Paracrine Growth Factors

Studies using animal models demonstrated the importance of autocrine/paracrine factors secreted by preimplantation embryos and reproductive tracts for embryonic development and implantation. Although in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) is an established procedure, there is no evidence that present culture conditions are optimal for human early embryonic development. In this study, key polypeptide ligands known to be important for early embryonic development in animal models were tested for their ability to improve human early embryo development and blastocyst outgrowth in vitro. We confirmed the expression of key ligand/receptor pairs in cleavage embryos derived from discarded human tri-pronuclear zygotes and in human endometrium. Combined treatment with key embryonic growth factors (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, colony-stimulating factor, epidermal growth factor, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, insulin-like growth factor-1, glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor, and artemin) in serum-free media promoted >2.5-fold the development of tri-pronuclear zygotes to blastocysts. For normally fertilized embryos, day 3 surplus embryos cultured individually with the key growth factors showed >3-fold increases in the development of 6–8 cell stage embryos to blastocysts and >7-fold increase in the proportion of high quality blastocysts based on Gardner’s criteria. Growth factor treatment also led to a 2-fold promotion of blastocyst outgrowth in vitro when day 7 surplus hatching blastocysts were used. When failed-to-be-fertilized oocytes were used to perform somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) using fibroblasts as donor karyoplasts, inclusion of growth factors increased the progression of reconstructed SCNT embryos to >4-cell stage embryos. Growth factor supplementation of serum-free cultures could promote optimal early embryonic development and implantation in IVF-ET and SCNT procedures. This approach is valuable for infertility treatment and future derivation of patient-specific embryonic stem cells.     

人-牛异种克隆胚构建及其线粒体来源

通过人-牛异种核移植技术获得异种克隆囊胚, 便于在不消耗人类卵母细胞的情况下从异种克隆胚中分离出人类干细胞。通过透明带下注射法将人胎儿成纤维细胞和牛耳成纤维细胞分别注入去核牛卵母细胞中构建异种和同种胚胎, 并比较两者之间的融合率、卵裂率、8-细胞发育率以及囊胚率。并对处于2-细胞、4-细胞、8-细胞、桑椹胚、囊胚阶段的异种克隆胚的线粒体DNA来源进行检测。结果表明, 异种克隆胚体外各个阶段的发育率均低于同种克隆胚, 尤其是8-细胞到囊胚阶段的发育率, 以及囊胚率都显著低于同种克隆胚(P<0.05)。异种克隆胚在2-细胞到桑椹胚阶段检测到人、牛线粒体DNA共存, 囊胚阶段只检测到牛线粒体DNA。结果表明: 牛卵母细胞可以重编程人胎儿成纤维细胞, 完成异种克隆胚植入前的胚胎发育, 异种克隆胚由于核质相互作用的不谐调, 影响其发育能力, 使其囊胚率显著低于同种克隆胚。牛线粒体DNA存在于植入前异种胚胎发育的各个阶段。异种克隆胚胎用于人类胚胎干细胞分离具有可行性。