山羊M II期卵母细胞胞质支持异种间克隆胚的着床前发育

研究去核山羊(Capra hircus)体内成熟的M II期卵母细胞与异种成年的哺乳动物(包括山羊、波尔山羊、牛、塔尔羊、熊猫)及人的成纤维细胞融合形成的体细胞核移植胚胎着床前的发育能力。结果显示这些异种体细胞核移植重构胚可以完成着床前发育, 并形成囊胚。种内体细胞核移植胚的融合率和囊胚发育率分别为78.67%(557/708)和56.29%(264/469); 亚种间或种间体细胞核移植胚的融合率和囊胚发育率分别为: 波尔山羊78.18%(541/692)、33.90%(40/118), 牛70.53%(146/207)、22.52%(25/111), 塔尔羊53.51%(61/114)、5.26%(3/570), 熊猫79.82%(1159/1452)、8.35%(75/898), 人68.76%(317/461)、5.41%(16/296)。由此结果得出以下结论: (1)山羊M II期卵母细胞胞质与供核细胞之间的亲缘性不影响两者的融合率; (2)山羊M II期卵母细胞的胞质能支持异种间体细胞核移植胚的着床前发育; (3)亲缘关系近的种间核移植胚的囊胚发育率高于亲缘关系远的种间核移植胚的。     

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.     

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。     

猪卵母细胞体外成熟的发育潜力及核移植重构胚构建方法的研究

为了提高猪体细胞核移植重构胚发育潜力,本研究对体外成熟28 h、32 h、36 h、40 h、44 h、48 h、52 h和56 h的猪卵母细胞分别进行去核构建重构胚.研究结果表明,成熟44 h的卵母细胞核移植后有较高的融合率(58.99%)、卵裂率(67.52%)和囊胚率(22.78%),而成熟48 h的卵母细胞则分别为56.51%、65.73%和15.96%;且卵龄为44 h的卵母细胞核移植后分裂率与囊胚率显著高于卵龄为40 h、36 h、32 h、28 h的卵母细胞的分裂率与囊胚率(P＜0.05).卵龄为48 h的卵母细胞融合率高于卵龄为52 h卵母细胞的融合率(P＜0.05).同时我们还探讨了不同去核方法(盲吸法、Hochest33342染色法和Spindle-view system)对猪体细胞核移植重构胚发育能力的影响.研究结果发现,盲吸法、Hoechest33342染色法和Spindle-view system法的去核率分别达到76.33%,100.00%和98.40%.Hoechest染色法去核率显著高于盲吸法的去核率(P＞0.05),而与Spindle-view法去核率没有差异(P＞0.05).三种方法在融合率和囊胚率方面差异不显著(P＞0.05),但Hoechest染色法的分裂率较低,差异显著(P＜0.05).进一步的研究表明,细胞质内注射进行核移植构建重构胚的分裂率和囊胚率分别为68.13%和6.44%;透明带下注射法则为60.37%和8.08%,两者差异不显著(P＜0.05);两者均可运用于猪体细胞的核移植,这为建立有效的猪体细胞核移植体系提供了参考.     

Leptin对陕北白绒山羊体细胞核移植的影响

Leptin的功能较为复杂,主要调控机体能量代谢。有研究表明Leptin在卵母细胞成熟及胚胎发育过程中也具有重要作用。本研究在卵母细胞体外成熟基础培养液中添加了不同浓度的Leptin,其中未添加Leptin的设为Ⅰ组,添加10ng/mL和50ng/mL Leptin的分别设为Ⅱ组和Ⅲ组。以陕北白绒山羊皮肤成纤维细胞为供体细胞,三组体外培养成熟的卵母细胞作为受体,利用显微操作方法对成熟卵母细胞进行去核操作,然后将供体细胞注射到卵周隙内,经电融合后形成体细胞克隆胚。根据卵母细胞体外成熟率、核移植效率以及克隆胚囊胚发育率分析Leptin在山羊核移植中的作用。结果表明Ⅰ组山羊卵母细胞体外成熟率和核移植效率显著高于其他两组(P<0.05),三组克隆囊胚发育率无显著差异(P>0.05)。Leptin降低了山羊卵母细胞体外成熟和核移植效率,对克隆胚发育能力无影响。     

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。     

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。     

山羊品种间体细胞核移植研究

萨能奶山羊是著名的奶用山羊品种,波尔山羊则是世界著名的肉用山羊品种.为了研究波尔山羊体细胞在奶山羊卵母细胞中的去分化,我们将成年波尔山羊的颗粒细胞或耳皮肤成纤维细胞作为供核细胞(试验组),移入奶山羊中Ⅱ期的去核卵母细胞透明带下,经电融合和离子霉素与6-二甲基氨基嘌呤(6-DMAP)激活,直接移入同期发情奶山羊输卵管或经体内培养,将发育的重构胚移人同期发情羊子宫内.妊娠早期作B超诊断,确立妊娠的观察至足月.同时将奶山羊的35日龄胎儿成纤维细胞作供核细胞(对照组),按试验组同样方法处理,将重构胚直接移入同期发情的奶山羊输卵管内.结果试验组,波尔羊颗粒粒细胞与耳皮肤成纤维细胞的融合率分别为78.2%(115/147)、57.4%(116/202),重构胚卵裂率为85.8%(115/134),桑椹胚、囊胚的发育率38.8%(52/134),早期妊娠三头,分别于妊娠40、60、60日龄终止妊娠.对照组,融合率为89.5%(136/152),早期妊娠率为42.9%(6/14),四头受体足月分娩,产四头公羊羔,其中三头存活,一头分娩时死于肺不扩张,并体重过大,显示胎儿过大综合症.经基因型鉴定证实,这四头克隆羔羊均源于同一胎儿成纤维细胞系.以上结果表明,波尔羊体细胞核在奶山羊卵母细胞中能够去分化,并维持一定程度的发育.     

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。     

体细胞核移植克隆民猪: 培养液对卵母细胞成熟及胚胎发育的影响

体外培养成熟的卵母细胞是进行克隆猪研究所需受体卵母细胞的主要来源, 卵母细胞成熟质量与体细胞核移植胚胎发育能力关系密切. 为提高卵母细胞体外成熟率和成熟质量, 进而提高体细胞核移植猪的成功率, 本实验以改进的TCM199培养液为基础液(T), 分别添加10%的猪卵泡液(T+pFF)和 10%的胎牛血清(T+FBS)后进行卵母细胞成熟培养, 以成熟率和体细胞核移植胚胎发育率等重要指标为标准, 研究了pFF和FBS对卵母细胞成熟及核移植胚胎发育能力的影响. T, T+pFF和T+FBS组在成熟培养后42 h卵母细胞成熟率分别为(53.2±3.8)%, (69.7±3.8)%和(70.2±3.7)%, 添加10%的pFF和FBS显著(P<0.05)提高了卵母细胞成熟率; 3组不同成熟培养液获得的成熟卵母细胞在体细胞核移植后囊胚发育率差异不显著, 但T+pFF组的囊胚细胞数(34.5±2.24)显著(P<0.05)高于T组的囊胚细胞数(26.6±1.25). 来自T+pFF组的体细胞核移植胚胎经手术法移植入发情周期为第0天或第1天的18头受体母猪输卵管, 其中有3头受体母猪妊娠发育到期, 获得克隆民猪14头, 其中有6头健康成活至今. 实验结果表明, 培养液中添加10%pFF可以有效提高卵母细胞成熟比例和成熟质量, 在含有10% pFF培养液中获得的成熟卵母细胞具有支持核移植胚胎全程发育的能力.     

Effect of cytoplast on the development of inter-subspecies nuclear transfer reconstructed goat embryo

The aim of this study was to investigate effect of cytoplast on the development competence of reconstructed embryos derived from inter-subspecies somatic cell nucleus transfer (SCNT). First, the development potency of reconstructed embryos produced by transferring Boer goat fibroblast cell nucleus of different ages into enucleated Sannen goat ova was evaluated in order to determine which age of nuclear donor is favorable for the reconstructed embryos development. Secondly, the another component of reconstructed embryos, "cytoplast," was evaluated by comparing the effect of ovum cytoplast derived from Sannen male symbol x Boer female symbol descendant on the reconstructed embryos development to that of Sannen goat ovum cytoplast. The results revealed that the development rate of the reconstructed embryos derived from 2 months old Boer goat somatic cells was the highest, their gestation rate was up to 50%, and one viable male offspring was obtained. The cytoplast derived from the crossbreeding goats improves the development competence of reconstructed embryos, which birth rate was 5.5%. The genetic identification of offspring by using PCR-SSCP analysis confirmed that these cloned kids were derived from the donor. The results above reveal that the cytoplast of Sannen goat ovum could induce the dedifferentiation of somatic cell nuclei derived from Boer goat, but the reprogramming process of these reconstructed embryos seems incomplete, probably due to some incorrect processes happened after implantation. Relatedness components of nucleus donor in cytoplast of the crossbreeding goat may be helpful to induce the dedifferentiation of somatic cell nuclei completely and improve the development competence of the reconstructed embryos.     

Unfaithful maintenance of methylation imprints due to loss of maternal nuclear Dnmt1 during somatic cell nuclear transfer

The low success rate of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in mammalian cloning is largely due to imprinting problems. However, little is known about the mechanisms of reprogramming imprinted genes during SCNT. Parental origin-specific DNA methylation regulates the monoallelic expression of imprinted genes. In natural fertilization, methylation imprints are established in the parental germline and maintained throughout embryonic development. However, it is unclear whether methylation imprints are protected from global changes of DNA methylation in cloned preimplantation embryos. Here, we demonstrate that cloned porcine preimplantation embryos exhibit demethylation at differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of imprinted genes; in particular, demethylation occurs during the first two cell cycles. By RNAi-mediated knockdown, we found that Dnmt1 is required for the maintenance of methylation imprints in porcine preimplantation embryos. However, no clear signals were detected in the nuclei of oocytes and preimplantation embryos by immunofluorescence. Thus, Dnmt1 is present at very low levels in the nuclei of porcine oocytes and preimplantation embryos and maintains methylation imprints. We further showed that methylation imprints were rescued in nonenucleated metaphase II (MII) oocytes. Our results indicate that loss of Dnmt1 in the maternal nucleus during SCNT significantly contributes to the unfaithful maintenance of methylation imprints in cloned embryos.     

Nuclear reprogramming in embryos generated by the transfer of yak (Bos grunniens) nuclei into bovine oocytes and comparison with bovine-bovine SCNT and bovine IVF embryos

Although inter-species SCNT may be useful for increasing and preserving populations of endangered species, there are many reports that inter-species nuclear transfer embryos only develop to the blastocyst stage. In this study, yak-bovine SCNT blastocysts were successfully implanted in the surrogate bovine uterus but failed to develop to term or aborted. To clarify the reasons, we examined yak-bovine SCNT blastocyst development, total cell number, inner cell mass (ICM) number, trophoblast (TE) cell number and relative gene expression in yak fibroblast cells and yak-bovine SCNT embryos at various stages. The potential for development of yak-bovine SCNT embryos to blastocysts was 30+/-5.7% (mean+/-S.E.M.); the total cell number was 85.3+/-16.3, fewer than in IVF bovine embryos (106.2+/-18.2) but within the reported range (60-300). The yak-bovine SCNT blastocysts had a lower ratio of TE cells to total cells (43.9+/-8.7%) than bovine IVF embryos (59.4+/-3.4%; P<0.05) or bovine-bovine SCNT (69.5+/-5.4%; P<0.05). Also, several yak-bovine SCNT embryos had abnormal initiation of expression of both Mash2 and IL6. However, expression of vimentin, collagen, Cx43 and PSMC3 were normal in yak fibroblast cells and yak-bovine SCNT embryos. In conclusion, we inferred that the normal allocation of ICM and TE cells in yak-bovine SCNT embryos and embryo-specific gene reprogramming may be important for successful inter-species animal cloning.     

Cloned kids derived from caprine mammary gland epithelial cells

The use of nucleus transfer techniques to generate transgenic dairy goats capable of producing recombinant therapeutic proteins in milk could have a major impact on the pharmaceutical industry. However, transfection or gene targeting of nucleus transfer donor cells requires a long in vitro culture period and the selection of marker genes. In the current study, we evaluated the potential for using caprine mammary gland epithelial cells (CMGECs), isolated from udders of lactating F1 hybrid goats (Capra hircus) and cryopreserved at Passages 24 to 26, for nucleus transfer into enucleated in vivo-matured oocytes. Pronuclear-stage reconstructed embryos were transferred into the oviducts of 31 recipient goats. Twenty-three (74%), 21 (72%), and 14 (48%) recipients were confirmed pregnant by ultrasonography on Days 30, 60, and 90, respectively. Four recipients aborted between 35 and 137 d of gestation. Five recipients carried the pregnancies to term and delivered one goat kid each, one of which subsequently died due to respiratory difficulties. The remaining four goat kids were healthy and well. Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis confirmed that all kids were clones of the donor cells. In conclusion, the CMGECs remained totipotent for nucleus transfer.     

Trichostatin A improves histone acetylation in bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer early embryos

Epigenetic aberrancies likely preclude correct and complete nuclear reprogramming following somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), and may underlie the observed reduced viability of cloned embryos. In the present study, we tested the effects of the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), trichostatin A (TSA), on development and histone acetylation of cloned bovine preimplantation embryos. Our results indicated that treating activated reconstructed SCNT embryos with 50 nM TSA for 13 h produced eight-cell embryos with levels of acetylation of histone H4 at lysine 5 (AcH4K5) similar to fertilized counterparts and significantly greater than in control NT embryos (p < 0.005). Further, TSA treatment resulted in SCNT embryos with preimplantation developmental potential similar to fertilized counterparts, as no difference was observed in cleavage and blastocyst rates or in blastocyst total cell number (p > 0.05). Measurement of eight selected developmentally important genes in single blastocysts showed a similar expression profile among the three treatment groups, with the exception of Nanog, Cdx2, and DNMT3b, whose expression levels were higher in TSA-treated NT than in in vitro fertilized (IVF) embryos. Data presented herein demonstrate that TSA can improve at least one epigenetic mark in early cloned bovine embryos. However, evaluation of development to full-term is necessary to ascertain whether this effect reflects a true increase in developmental potential.