水稻“双－3”多胚发生的研究

水稻ＭＩＶ（双－３、籼稻）传粉后可以有多个花粉管同时进入胚囊．大多数胚囊的合子发育为一个正常的胚,但是有少数合子胚发生裂生并分化形成双胚芽和一胚根．有些胚囊的助细胞和卵细胞同时受精后,分别发育为助细胞胚和合子胚;有些胚囊中的反足细胞团可直接发育为胚．可见“双－３”水稻除有正常合子胚外还存在助细胞胚和反足细胞匹的多胚现象．     

Transfer of cultured rabbit embryos

Embryo transfer experiments were carried out to study the developmental capacity of cultured rabbit embryos when transferred to recipients of variable postovulatory maturity. Rabbit embryos were flushed from the oviduct at 26 hours postcoitum (pc) and cultured in a modified Ham's F-10 medium supplemented with bovine serum albumin (BSA) for a period of 70 hours. At 96 hours pc the cultured embryos, which ranged from the early morula to the expanding blastocyst stage, were transferred to pseudopregnant recipients mated to vasectomized males 36 to 96 hours prior to the transfer procedure. Greatest embryo survival occurred when transfers were made to either the oviducts or uterine horns of recipients at 48 hours pc. Intermediate results for both implantation rates and number of young born were obtained with recipients at 36, 60, 72, and 84 hours pc. Transferred embryos consistently failed to survive the uterine environment of recipients 96 hours pc at transfer although this group was synchronous with embryonic chronological age. Oviductal transfers were generally more successful than uterine transfers. Markedly higher rates of embryo survival resulted from embryos that were collected 60 and 72 hours pc and transferred directly to synchronous recipients without an interim period of culture. Dissimilarity of development for in vivo grown rabbit embryos and those cultured in synthetic medium is demonstrated.     

水稻“双－3”多胚发生的研究

叶秀,陈泽濂,黎垣庆 　　水稻ＭＩＶ（双－３、籼稻）传粉后可以有多个花粉管同时进入胚囊．大多数胚囊的合子发育为一个正常的胚,但是有少数合子胚发生裂生并分化形成双胚芽和一胚根．有些胚囊的助细胞和卵细胞同时受精后,分别发育为助细胞胚和合子胚;有些胚囊中的反足细胞团可直接发育为胚．可见“双－３”水稻除有正常合子胚外还存在助细胞胚和反足细胞匹的多胚现象．     

IVF-ET时影响胚胎着床率的因素分析

胚胎移植成功的标志性事件是胚胎着床。着床是一个高度协调的事件,影响胚胎着床的因素主要有胚胎质量和子宫内膜容受性两方面。     

Utero‐tubal transfer of mouse embryos

Summary: A successful embryo transfer depends on the quality of the transferred embryos, recipients, and the transfer techniques. Among these, transfer techniques are often the limiting factor because transfer methodologies and personal skills vary. Suboptimal embryo transfer procedures can compromise transgenic experiments (pronuclear microinjection and gene targeting) and critical steps of mouse colony maintenance (embryo cryopreservation and mouse line rederivation). Here we present an efficient and simple procedure utilizing specific designs to improve the transfer quality. A 100% implantation rate is observed after the utero‐tubal embryo transfer, which indicates that the modified method successfully prevents the embryos from flowing out of the punctured hole during embryo transfer. We believe this alternative methodology is able to fulfill the need of high efficiency of animal production. genesis 30:77–81, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Survival rate to term of chimeric morulae produced by aggregation of five to nine embryos in the mouse, Mus musculus

Chimeric morulae from five to nine embryos were produced by aggregation after removal of the zonae pellucidae and brief incubation in phytohemagglutinin-P. After 28 hr of in vitro culture, these aggregates were transferred to the left uterine horn of pseudopregnant recipient female mice. Each recipient also received control embryos in the right uterine horn. Genetic markers were included so that aggregate-derived offspring could be distinguished from control offspring. Aggregate-derived embryos survived to term, but at a much reduced rate. In the 25 recipients that produced litters, 6.2% (N=211) of the aggregated embryos developed into liveborn young. Survival-to-term for control embryos was 38.8% (N=387). Survival-to-term was independent of the number of embryos aggregated. The aggregate-derived embryos were apparently undergoing size regulation following implantation.     

Nuclear transfer in cattle using in vivo-derived vs. in vitro-produced donor embryos: Effect of developmental stage

To determine the best developmental stage of donor embryos for yielding the highest number of clones per embryo, we compared the efficiencies of nuclear transfer when using blastomeres from morulae or morulae at cavitation, or when using inner-cell-mass cells of blastocysts as nuclear donors. This comparison was done both on in vivo-derived and in vitro-produced donor embryos. In experiment 1, with in vivo-derived donor embryos, nuclei from morulae at cavitation supported the development of nuclear transfer embryos to the blastocyst stage (36%) at a rate similar to that of nuclei from morulae (27%), blastomeres from morulae at cavitation being superior (P < 0.05) to inner-cell-mass cells from blastocysts (21%). The number of blastocysts per donor embryo was significantly (P < 0.05) higher when using nuclei from morulae at cavitation (15.7 ± 4.1) rather than nuclei from morulae (9.8 ± 5.5) or blastocysts (6.3 ± 3.3). With in vitro-produced donor embryos (experiment 2), nuclei from morulae yielded slightly more blastocysts (32%) than nuclei from morulae at cavitation (29%), both stages being superior to nuclei from blastocysts (15% development to the blastocyst stage). Morulae at cavitation yielded a higher number of cloned blastocysts per donor embryo (11.5 ± 5.9) than did morulae (9.3 ± 3.2) and blastocysts (3.3 ± 1.4). Transfer of cloned embryos originating from in vivo-derived morulae, morulae at cavitation, and blastocysts resulted in four pregnancies (10%), three pregnancies (7%), and one (17%) pregnancy on day 45. The corresponding numbers of calves born were 3 (4%), 3 (7%), and 0, respectively. After transfer of blastocysts derived from in vitro nuclear donor morulae (n = 16) and morulae at cavitation (n = 7), two (20%) and two (50%) recipients, respectively, were pregnant on day 45. However, transfer of seven cloned embryos from in vitro donor blastocysts to three recipients did not result in a pregnancy. Using in vitro-produced donor embryos, calves were only obtained from morula-stage donors (13%). Our results indicate that the developmental stage of donor embryos affects the efficiency of nuclear transfer, with morulae at cavitation yielding a high number of cloned blastocysts. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Deep and intermediate complex morphophysiological dormancy in seeds of Ferula gummosa (Apiaceae)

We tested the hypothesis that seeds of the monocarpic perennial Ferula gummosa from the Mediterranean area and central Asia have deep complex morphophysiological dormancy. We determined the water permeability of seeds, embryo morphology, temperature requirements for embryo growth and seed germination and responses of seeds to warm and cold stratification and to different concentrations of GA₃. The embryo has differentiated organs, but it is small (underdeveloped) and must grow inside the seed, reaching a critical embryo length, seed length ratio of 0.65–0.7, before the seed can germinate. Seeds required 9 weeks of cold stratification at <10°C for embryo growth, dormancy break and germination to occur. Thus, seeds have morphophysiological dormancy (MPD). Furthermore, GA₃ improved the germination percentage and rate at 5°C and promoted 20 and 5% germination of seeds incubated at 15 and 20°C, respectively. Thus, about 20% of the seeds had intermediate complex MPD. For the other seeds in the seed lot, cold stratification (5°C) was the only requirement for dormancy break and germination and GA₃ could not substitute for cold stratification. Thus, about 80% of the seeds had deep complex MPD.     

Comparative study of somatic embryogenesis from immature and mature embryos and organogenesis from leaf-base of Triticale

Immature and mature zygotic embryos of hexaploid, Triticale var. DT-46 formed an embryogenic callus, with subsequent somatic embryo formation upon subculture to MS (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) or N₆ (Chu et al., 1975) nutrient medium supplemented with various concentrations (9.0–22.5 M) of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Of the two types of explants, embryogenic tissue from immature embryos responded at a higher frequency, to form somatic embryos over the callus surface. Leaf-base segment cultured on to 2,4-D-containing medium formed a tissue which did not form somatic embryos and instead differentiated into shoot-buds. N₆ medium proved to be more effective than MS in support of somatic embryogenesis or shoot-bud formation. Regeneration of plantlets occurred on 2,4-D-free basal medium. These in vitro-formed plantlets were successfully transferred to soil and set seed.     

鸡胚内抗氧化物质的分布与变化

生物体内存在多种内源性抗氧化物质,在生命过程中发挥着基本的防御功能,是人们十分关注的研究领域。本文综述了近年来鸡胚内抗氧化物质的形成与来源等研究成果,分析了鸡胚孵育过程中维生素(A、C、E)、类胡萝卜素、硒、过氧化氢酶和超氧化物歧化酶等主要抗氧化物质的分布与变化,及内源性抗氧化系统的形成,旨在为今后的研究提供有益的科学依据。     

A preliminary report on the establishment of pregnancies in an in vitro fertilization (IVF) programme at the University of British Columbia (UBC)

Between July 1982 and November 1983, two pregnancies were established using in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF and ET) procedures with three different schedules to induce follicular maturation. All women were cycling normally and had inoperable or absent fallopian tubes. Of 83 oocytes aspirated from 24 patients (31 cycles), 75% were considered mature and 25% immature by the morphological characteristics of the oocytes and cumulus cells. Oocytes were preincubated for 6–24 hours, and after insemination, 60% cleaved to the two-to-four-cell stage. The superovulation induction schedule employing hMG administered according to the individually adjusted treatment scheme established two pregnancies. This schedule was considered the superior regimen, as it gave the highest proportion of mature oocytes (89%) which cleaved (78%). The pregnancy-attaining follicle showed a high progesterone:estradiol-17β ratio (P₄/E₂) in its microenvironment of aspirated follicular fluid, culture media of granulosa cells, and oocyte-cumulus complex. Our observations indicate a high P₄/E₂ ratio in the pregnancy-attaining follicle, and thereby reflect a further parameter in influencing maturation of the oocytes most likely to implant.     

被子植物胚柄研究进展

胚柄在胚胎发育过程中是一个暂时性的结构, 但却起着为胚体提供营养和生长调节因子的作用。相对胚体而言, 胚柄具有细胞类型单一、结构相对独立及发育时间短等特点, 其在胚胎发育的基因调控和细胞命运决定研究中具有独特的优势。该文从胚柄的形成及特点、胚柄在胚胎发育中的作用、信号传递系统对胚柄的影响以及与胚柄相关基因的功能等方面进行综述, 以期为研究胚柄在胚胎发育过程中所起的作用以及胚柄的命运决定提供参考信息。     

Refinement of a morphological scoring system for postimplantation rabbit conceptuses

BACKGROUND: The rabbit is used extensively in developmental toxicity testing, yet basic information on rabbit embryo development is lacking. The goals of this study were to refine a rabbit embryo morphology scoring system, and use it to evaluate rabbit whole embryo cultures (WEC). METHODS: A total of 265 conceptuses were harvested between GD 8.0 and 12.0 (coitus = GD 0) at 6-hr intervals and examined in detail. Discreet developmental landmarks were then established for 18 morphological features and assigned scores ranging from 0 up to 6. The scoring system was then validated on a subset of randomly selected in vivo conceptuses, and was used to evaluate conceptuses grown for 12, 24, 36, or 48 hr in WEC beginning from GD 9.0 or 10.0. A few embryos also were examined using microscopic computed tomography (microCT)-based virtual histologytrade mark to assess the utility of this technology. RESULTS: Morphology scores of in vivo developed conceptuses increased linearly (r2 = 0.98) with advancing gestational age, from means of 0.0 on GD 8.0 to 67.9 on GD 12.0. Application of the scoring system, supplemented with evidence from Virtual histologytrade mark, indicated that the WEC system supported normal morphological development of rabbit conceptuses. However, when explanted at GD 9, the rate of development was about 20% slower than in vivo, whereas the rate of development in WEC from GD 10 was indistinguishable from in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: This work enhances the evaluation tools available to study mechanisms of normal and abnormal development in this widely used animal testing species.     

Efficient selection of transgenic mouse embryos using EGFP as a marker gene

We have established a reliable method that uses the EGFP (Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein) gene as a marker for selecting transgenic embryos from preimplantation embryos. Embryos that were subjected to the pronuclear microinjection of the CMV/β‐actin/EGFP fusion gene were cultured in vitro until they developed into the morulae‐ or blastocyst‐stage. The expression of EGFP was easily observed by a fluorescent microscopy. There appeared to be no damage to the in vivo developmental ability of the embryos in response to the EGFP excitation light, which utilized an IB filter for a period of 30 min. Modified PCR analysis using Dpn I and Bal 31 digestion of the embryonic DNA showed that all of the embryos expressing EGFP in all their cells were transgenic, while more than half with mosaic expression of EGFP were not transgenic. Approximately 77% of pups born from the embryos that uniformly expressed the EGFP gene were transgenic, while 21.4% of pups from the embryos with mosaic expression were transgenics. The results showed that the use of EGFP as a marker is very useful and reliable for selecting transgenic embryos, and that it is important to transfer the embryos expressing EGFP in all their cells to obtain truly transgenic animals. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 54:43–48, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Parthenogenetic and nuclear transfer rabbit embryo development and apoptosis after activation treatments

Previous studies mainly evaluated the effect of culture conditions on preimplantation embryo apoptosis. In order to inhibit apoptosis of nuclear transfer (NT) embryos, putative apoptosis inhibitors were used to treat donor cells. However, little is known about the effect of activation treatments on embryo apoptosis. We firstly investigated the effect of various parthenogenetic activation (PA) treatments on embryo development, blastocyst cell number, and apoptosis, and then one of these activation treatments proved to be most efficient was selected for activation rabbit NT embryos. The activation by electrical pulses and 30 min later, electroporation with 25 muM D-myoinositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) in Ca(2+)- and Mg(2+)-free PBS, then exposure to 2.0 mM 6-dimethylaminopurine (6-DMAP) for 3 hr effectively activated rabbit oocytes, and resulted in significantly a higher blastocyst development rate (72.7%) and total cell number (175 +/- 14.1), and markedly lower apoptosis level of blastocyst (4.3 +/- 0.5) than all the other groups. When the same activation protocol was applied in NT embryo activation, we found that exposure of the embryos to 6-DMAP for 3 hr could decrease the apoptosis level of blastocyst and increase blastocyst rate and cell number. The results demonstrate that oocyte activation affects not only embryo development and quality but also embryo apoptosis.     

An analysis of seed development in Pisum sativum. VII. Embryo development and precocious germination in vitro

Three different culture media have been examined for their ability to support growth in culture of embryos of two pea lines near-isogenic except for the r-locus. Embryos showed a greater increase in fresh weight on a medium containing 10% sucrose and a high level of a mixture of amino acids than on either one containing an equivalent amount of glutamine as the sole nitrogen source or one containing both inorganic nitrogen and a low level of glutamine. Small embryos (up to 10 mg fresh weight) showed the greatest relative increase in fresh weight. Decreasing the osmotic pressure of an agar medium by lowering the sucrose content to 2% and reducing the concentration of amino acids induced precocious germination. Shoot growth was more sensitive than root growth to increasing sucrose concentrations and optimum development was obtained when embryos were cultured in liquid culture at a high osmotic pressure followed by growth on an agar medium at low osmotic pressure. Alternatively, precocious germination could be induced by removing the cotyledons. Embryos of all sizes and of both genotypes of pea responded in a similar manner.     

秦艽(Gentiana macrophylla Pall.)离体培养再生过程中体细胞胚的发生(简报)

本文以秦艽叶片和茎段作为外植体,通过离体培养对秦艽植株再生途径进行研究。愈伤组织在添加2mg/L 2,4-D和0.5mg/L BA的MS培养基上诱导,两周内可出现愈伤组织。愈伤组织在相同激素配比并附加500mg/L LH的MS培养基上继代。愈伤组织的分化在添加有0.1mg/L 2,4-D和0.5mg/L BA的MB培养基上进行。通过显微观测,疑似体细胞胚可以在叶片和茎段的愈伤组织上产生。形态学和组织学的分析进一步证实了秦艽离体再生过程中体细胞胚发生的现象。体细胞胚和合子胚一样,也经历球形、心形、鱼雷和子叶胚等发育时期。相对独立的结构说明秦艽的体细胞胚可能是单细胞来源。体细胞胚在愈伤组织的表面和内部都有出现。在本实验中,体细胞胚发生途径是在秦艽愈伤组织形成后观察到的唯一再生途径。     

红肉小果型番木瓜品种'美中红'体胚的诱导

用红肉小果型番木瓜品种‘美中红’为外植体,探讨不同成熟度的幼胚、不同浓度2,4-D和培养条件对其体胚的诱导以及体胚形成过程的结果表明:以子叶和内外种皮都为白色且个体较大的番木瓜幼胚(90~120d)在含10mg·L-12,4-D的培养基中和黑暗条件下诱导愈伤组织的效果最佳,愈伤组织的诱导率随着2,4-D浓度的增加而增加。番木瓜愈伤组织最先发生于形态学上的胚根下端,体胚多发生于形态学上的胚芽上端。     

Evaluation of the Cryotech Vitrification Kit for bovine embryos

The purpose of this work was to assess commercially available Cryotech Vitrification Kit, in terms of survival, in vitro development and pregnancy rate for bovine embryos. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were recovered from ovaries obtained from slaughtered cows and then matured in vitro for 22 h. COCs were fertilized by sex-sorted sperm in IVF-mSOF and cultured in IVC-mSOF for 7 days to the blastocyst stage. Blastocysts were vitrified with the Cryotech Vitrification Kit® and then either warmed to check viability or transferred to synchronized heifers. We observed 100% survival of the in vitro produced blastocysts and obtained the same pregnancy rate (46.8%) as that obtained using fresh in vitro produced blastocysts. We thus conclude that the Cryotech vitrification method is a valid alternative to other vitrification or slow-cooling methods in the bovine species and that it is ready for livestock production.     

Effect of sperm motility on human embryo quality in in vitro fertilization

Sperm motility is important for penetration of the zona pellucida, and this parameter has been reported to be the single most important factor determining fertilization rates. As there was no report on the relationship between sperm motility and embryo quality, we investigated the influence of sperm motility on embryo quality in 41 patients with tubal disease and/or obstruction. The patients were either unstimulated or stimulated with clomiphene or clomiphene and human menopausal gonadotrophin. Of 116 oocytes collected, 86 (74.1%) fertilised and cleaved; of these only 44 embryos had clear equal blastomeres without fragmentation (grade 3). Grade 3 embryos were equally distributed through all initial sperm motility categories, and through all categories of sperm concentration after swim-up. The ratio of motile sperm concentration in the initial semen sample to the final sperm concentration after swim-up varied from 0.5 to 67, and grade 3 embryos were distributed randomly from low to high ratios. The pregnancy rate in this series was only 14.6% per replacement. The rate of gestational sacs per embryo replaced was 7.0% (6/86); if “poor” embryos were excluded, the rate was 9.1% (6/66). The absence of correlation between sperm motility and embryo quality is discussed on morphological grounds.