慢病毒载体介导的绿色荧光蛋白转基因标记法研究猪嵌合体制作

目的:通过建立慢病毒载体感染猪胚胎体系实现胚胎标记,进而研究不同发育阶段猪孤雌胚胎之间的嵌合能力,为进一步研究猪早期胚胎发育以及细胞分化奠定基础.方法:首先,通过显微注射的方法把2×109I.U./ml、2×108I.U./ml和2×107I.U./ml三个梯度的表达绿色荧光的慢病毒载体分别注射到猪1-细胞胚胎和2-细胞胚胎的透明带下,进行胚胎的GFP转基因标记,在荧光显微镜下观察比较卵裂率、阳性胚胎率、囊胚率、阳性囊胚率和囊胚细胞数.然后,采用凹窝聚合法对同步发育胚胎在不同阶段(2-细胞,4-细胞,8-细胞)进行嵌合,2-细胞胚胎与不同发育阶段(2-细胞、4-细胞、8-细胞)胚胎进行嵌合以及2-细胞胚胎卵裂球互换制作嵌合体胚胎,发育到囊胚时在荧光显微镜下检测胚胎的嵌合状态.结果:2×109I.U./ml的慢病毒感染猪2-细胞胚胎组中,体外受精和孤雌胚胎感染阳性率( 80.00％、76.36％)和阳性囊胚率(90.74％、89.56％)都显著高于其它滴度组(P＜0.05),另外,慢病毒感染的两种胚胎与对照组对卵裂率、囊胚率和囊胚细胞数三个指标没有显著影响(P＞0.05).2-细胞胚胎之间嵌合囊胚率和2-细胞卵裂球互换嵌合囊胚率( 53.85％、62.50％)显著高于2-细胞胚胎与4-细胞胚胎的嵌合率(18.60％,P＜0.05),在同步发育胚胎中8-细胞胚胎之间的嵌合率(75.00％)高于4-细胞胚胎之间和2-细胞胚胎之间的嵌合率( 65.00％、53.80％).结论:2×109I.U./ml的慢病毒感染2-细胞期胚胎效率最高,另外,慢病毒感染对猪胚胎发育没有明显影响.8-细胞间的嵌合率比较高;发育同步胚胎间的嵌合率高于发育非同步胚胎间的嵌合率.     

蛋白激酶Cα在小鼠孤雌及四倍体胚胎早期发育过程中的分布和作用

为了观察蛋白激酶Cα(protein kinase Cα,PKCα在昆明白小鼠受精卵、孤雌激活和四倍体胚胎早期发育阶段的亚细胞定位和致密化进程中的表达变化,本实验利用免疫荧光化学染色与激光共聚焦显微镜观察相结合的方法,对受精卵、孤雌激活和四倍体胚胎早期发育阶段PKCα的表达进行了定位观察,并利用Western blot对三组胚胎致密化进程中PKCα的表达进行定量分析.结果显示,PKCα在上述三组胚胎发育的2-细胞期至囊胚期均有表达,虽然不同胚胎PKCα的分布在同一发育阶段存在差异,却表现出在各胚胎期主要分布于卵裂球核染色质内,以及在胚胎致密化开始,PKCα在卵裂球连接处发生重新分布的共同特点.此外,三组胚胎PKCα在致密化进程中的表达呈升高趋势,即致密化后的表达高于敛密化前.结果表明,PKCct对胚胎致密化的调节具有重要作用,其在8-细胞/4-细胞期的重新分布是胚胎进入桑椹胚期的必然事件,是胚胎致密化的前提,同时伴随蛋白表达增多.此外,PKCα在囊胚期发生了植入前的第二次重新分布.PKCα在三组胚胎各发育阶段表达情况各不相同,它对小鼠胚胎发育的影响体现在整个早期发育阶段.PKCα在小鼠受精卵早期发育阶段的两次重新分布可能与在致密化开始时启动的细胞黏附事件存在某种必然联系.     

初次卵裂时间是猪克隆胚胎发育潜能的重要标识

初次卵裂时间与哺乳动物胚胎发育潜能有关．比较了不同初次卵裂时间(20～24 h,早期;25～36 h,中期;37～48 h,晚期;20～48 h,对照)的猪孤雌(parthenogenetic,PA)、体细胞核移植(somatic cell nuclear transfer,SCNT)胚胎的囊胚发育率、扩张囊胚发育率和囊胚细胞数,评价其体外发育能力．发现早期卵裂的PA胚胎发育到第6天的囊胚发育率显著高于中期、晚期以及对照组(P < 0.05;54.0% vs. 19.6%,5.4%,18.7%)．扩张囊胚发育率,早裂胚胎同样优于其他组．早期卵裂的SCNT胚胎发育到第6天的囊胚比率高于中期卵裂胚胎(32.2% vs. 23.5%),而晚期卵裂胚胎发育到囊胚的比率最低(6.3%)．早期卵裂的SCNT胚胎发育到第6天的扩张囊胚比率显著高于其余各组 (P < 0.05;18.9% vs. 5.9%、3.1%、7.4%)．囊胚细胞数在早期、中期、晚期三组之间表现出下降趋势．将早期卵裂的SCNT胚胎与未经挑选的对照组胚胎分别进行移植,观察其体内发育能力．移植早裂SCNT胚胎的受体在产仔数和克隆效率上均明显高于未经挑选胚胎的受体(4.7 vs. 2.1;3.9% vs. 0.9%),说明早裂胚胎着床后具有更强的发育能力．以上结果表明：初次卵裂时间可以作为猪克隆胚胎发育潜能的重要标识,选择早裂的胚胎进行移植,有助于提高克隆效率．     

小鼠四倍体早期胚胎基因组甲基化模式

利用小鼠抗5-甲基胞嘧啶(5MeC)单克隆抗体检测了体外培养小鼠四倍体早期胚胎的基因组甲基化模式。结果表明: 利用电融合方法制备的小鼠四倍体胚胎在体外培养体系中经历细胞质融合、细胞核融合及细胞继续分裂发育直到囊胚期的过程, 在细胞质融合的时候胚胎卵裂球同体内体外培养二倍体胚胎一样, 呈现高度甲基化状态; 在细胞核开始融合的时候, 甲基化水平急速下降, 在细胞核完全融合的时候甲基化水平达到最低点; 随着胚胎继续分裂, 胚胎甲基化水平逐渐增加, 在桑葚胚期甲基化水平最高; 但是囊胚期四倍体胚胎内细胞团同滋养层细胞甲基化荧光信号没有差别, 这与体内体外培养二倍体囊胚内细胞团细胞甲基化荧光强度高于滋养层细胞甲基化荧光强度不同。因此, 小鼠体外培养四倍体胚胎的甲基化模式是不正常的, 这可能是四倍体小鼠难以发育到妊娠足月的原因之一。这是对小鼠四倍体早期胚胎基因组甲基化模式的首次报道。     

小鼠囊胚与黑色素瘤细胞共培养模型优化

采用基因转染的方法,将EGFP(增强型绿色荧光蛋白)基因导入B16黑色素瘤细胞中,筛选出稳定表达绿色荧光蛋白的EGFP-B16细胞株,利用RT-PCR法检测细胞中EGFP基因的mRNA表达,流式细胞仪分析荧光细胞阳性率。利用EGFP-B16细胞与C57BL/6小鼠囊胚共培养,在激光共聚焦荧光显微镜下观察,比在普通倒置显微镜下观察B16细胞与C57BL/6小鼠囊胚共培养的模型能更加直观的表达胚胎与肿瘤的相互作用关系。     

小鼠受精卵、卵裂球和桑椹胚细胞无SP表型

SP(side population)表型的概念在干细胞研究中用来表示某些细胞具有的将进入细胞的荧光染料如Hoechst 33342排出细胞的特性, 这种表型的形成与ABCG2蛋白有关. 近年研究报告某些干细胞及某些前体细胞具有SP表型, 并提出SP表型可能是干细胞或前体细胞的筛选标志. 在本研究中通过分离了小鼠受精卵、2细胞期及8细胞期卵裂球、桑椹胚和囊胚并直接进行Hoechst 33342染色, 结果发现小鼠受精卵、卵裂球、桑椹胚细胞都不具有SP表型, 但是处于其分化下游的囊胚中的内细胞团细胞却具有明显的SP表型, 而同一囊胚中的滋养层细胞却不具有SP表型. 该结果表明来源于内细胞团的胚胎干细胞具有的SP表型是内在的, 与体外培养条件无关; 另一方面该结果也提示SP表型至少是多能干细胞所具有的独特表型之一, 但并不存在于更早期的全能干细胞. 当在培养液中加入ABCG2蛋白抑制剂后直接导致囊胚中的内细胞团细胞SP表型消失, 提示囊胚内细胞团细胞SP表型的形成与ABCG2蛋白具有密切相关性. 以上结果表明并不是所有的干细胞都具有SP表型, SP表型可能可以作为某些种类的干细胞, 如胚胎干细胞及某些成体组织干细胞的分选标志, 但并不具有普遍性.     

应用激光扫描共聚焦显微镜FRAP技术研究兔早期胚胎发育中细胞间隙连接介导通讯

本研究应用激光扫描共聚焦显微镜的光漂白恢复技术(FRAP)分析兔早期胚胎卵裂球之间通过间隙连接介导的细胞通讯(GJIC)。研究结果发现,用强激光分别将4-细胞期胚胎、异裂胚胎和8-细胞期胚胎的一个卵裂球荧光光漂白后,经过15分钟的荧光恢复,4-细胞期胚胎的光漂白恢复率为17.8％,异裂胚胎的光漂白恢复率为23.7％,二者之间没有明显的差异;8-细胞期胚胎的光漂白恢复率为78.2％,与前二者之间存在明显的差异。推测兔早期胚胎卵裂球细胞间隙连接建立的时间在8-细胞阶段,胚胎卵裂球间隙连接通讯可能是兔胚胎正常发育的重要条件。     

激光辅助制作小鼠嵌合体胚胎的研究

目的：探索激光辅助体外制作小鼠嵌合体胚胎的方法。方法：激光辅助去除不同发育阶段体外受精胚胎的透明带,随机组合卵裂球体外培养,观察胚胎融合情况。结果：没有透明带的卵裂球体外能够“自发”融合,并且融合胚胎在体外培养环境中,能够发育至囊胚期,显微镜观察其形态基本与二倍体胚胎无差别。结论：激光辅助方法获得裸露的卵裂球能够在体外培养环境制作嵌合体胚胎。     

电压敏感染料DiBAC4(3)用于检测胚胎细胞膜电位变化的研究

目的:探讨电压敏感染料DiBAC4(3)用于检测胚胎细胞膜电位变化的可行性。方法:分别取单细胞期胚胎、二细胞期胚胎、囊胚期胚胎,用M16孵育0.5 h后加入终浓度5μmol/L的DiBAC4(3)溶液,每隔10min在荧光显微镜下或激光共聚焦显微镜下观察胚胎细胞荧光强度变化,0.5 h后实验组加入终浓度100mmol/L的KCL溶液,对照组加入与KCL溶液等量的M16,每隔5 min观察胚胎细胞荧光强度变化。结果:每个时期的胚胎细胞都可以被DiBAC4(3)染色,没加KCL前半小时荧光强度随时间缓慢增强,加KCL后即刻荧光强度显著增强,且在15 min内荧光强度随时间增强。结论:电压敏感染料DiBAC4(3)可以用于胚胎细胞膜电位变化的检测。     

不同冷冻保护剂对早期卵裂期小鼠胚胎冷冻后成活率和发育的影响

为了评价利用不同冷冻保护剂冷冻早期卵裂期胚胎的效果,用小鼠为实验动物,采用慢速冷冻、快速融解的冷冻技术,比较丙二醇、二甲基亚砜和甘油作冷冻保护剂对小鼠2-细胞、4-细胞、8-细胞胚胎冷冻后胚胎存活率和囊胚形成率的影响。发现以丙二醇和蔗糖为冷冻保护剂冷冻4-细胞、8-细胞胚胎,解冻后胚胎成活率和囊胚形成率显著高于以二甲基亚砜或甘油为冷冻保护剂。结果表明,丙二醇是一种冷冻早期卵裂期小鼠胚胎有效的冷冻保护剂。     

Cardiac-specific expression of calcineurin reverses embryonic lethality in calreticulin-deficient mouse

Calreticulin is an endoplasmic reticulum resident Ca(2+)-binding chaperone. The importance of the protein is illustrated by embryonic lethality because of impaired cardiac development in calreticulin-deficient mice. The molecular details underlying this phenotype are not understood. In this study, we show that overexpression of activated calcineurin reverses the defect in cardiac development observed in calreticulin-deficient mice and rescues them from embryonic lethality. The surviving mice show no defect in cardiac development but exhibited growth retardation, hypoglycemia, increased levels of serum triacylglycerols, and cholesterol. Reversal of embryonic lethality because of calreticulin deficiency by activated calcineurin underscores the impact of the calreticulin-calcineurin functions on the Ca(2+)-dependent signaling cascade during early cardiac development. These findings show that calreticulin and calcineurin play fundamental roles in Ca(2+)-dependent pathways essential for normal cardiac development and explain the molecular basis for the rescue of calreticulin-deficient phenotype.     

Manipulation and In Vitro Maturation of Xenopus laevis Oocytes,Followed by Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection,to Study Embryonic Development

Amphibian eggs have been widely used to study embryonic development. Early embryonic development is driven by maternally stored factors accumulated during oogenesis. In order to study roles of such maternal factors in early embryonic development, it is desirable to manipulate their functions from the very beginning of embryonic development. Conventional ways of gene interference are achieved by injection of antisense oligonucleotides (oligos) or mRNA into fertilized eggs, enabling under- or over-expression of specific proteins, respectively. However, these methods normally require more than several hours until protein expression is affected, and, hence, the interference of gene functions is not effective during early embryonic stages. Here, we introduce an experimental system in which expression levels of maternal proteins can be altered before fertilization. Xenopus laevis oocytes obtained from ovaries are defolliculated by incubating with enzymes. Antisense oligos or mRNAs are injected into defolliculated oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage. These oocytes are in vitro matured to eggs at the metaphase II (MII) stage, followed by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). By this way, up to 10% of ICSI embryos can reach the swimming tadpole stage, thus allowing functional tests of specific gene knockdown or overexpression. This approach can be a useful way to study roles of maternally stored factors in early embryonic development.     

Interfamily variation in amphibian early life-history traits: raw material for natural selection?

The embryonic development and time to hatching of eggs can be highly adaptive in some species, and thus under selective pressure. In this study, we examined the underlying interfamily variation in hatching timing and embryonic development in a population of an oviparous amphibian, the rough-skinned newt (Taricha granulosa). We found significant, high variability in degree of embryonic development and hatching timing among eggs from different females. Patterns of variation were present regardless of temperature. We also could not explain the differences among families by morphological traits of the females or their eggs. This study suggests that the variation necessary for natural selection to act upon is present in the early life history of this amphibian.     

Bioengineered microenvironment to culture early embryos

The abnormalities of early post‐implantation embryos can lead to early pregnancy loss and many other syndromes. However, it is hard to study embryos after implantation due to the limited accessibility. The success of embryo culture in vitro can avoid the challenges of embryonic development in vivo and provide a powerful research platform for research in developmental biology. The biophysical and chemical cues of the microenvironments impart significant spatiotemporal effects on embryonic development. Here, we summarize the main strategies which enable researchers to grow embryos outside of the body while overcoming the implantation barrier, highlight the roles of engineered microenvironments in regulating early embryonic development, and finally discuss the future challenges and new insights of early embryo culture.     

Developmental variability during early embryonic development of zebra fish, Danio rerio

Early vertebrate embryos pass through a period of remarkable morphological similarity. Possible causes for such similarity of early embryos include modularity, developmental constraints, stabilizing selection, canalization, and exhausted genetic variability. Supposedly, each process creates different patterns of variation and covariation of embryonic traits. We study the patterns of variation of the embryonic phenotype to test ideas about possible evolutionary mechanisms shaping the early embryonic development. We use the zebra fish, Danio rerio, as a model organism and apply repeated measures of individual embryos to study temporal changes of phenotypic variability during development. In particular, we are looking at the embryonic development from 12 hours post fertilization until 27 hours post fertilization. During this time period, the development of individual embryos is documented at hourly intervals. We measured maximum diameter of the eye, length of embryo, number of somites, inclination of somites, and the yolk size (as a maternal effect). The coefficient of variation (CV) was used as a measure of variability that was independent of size. We used a principal component analysis for analysis of morphological integration. The experimental setup kept environment x genotype interactions constant. Nongenetic parental contributions had no significant effects on interindividual variability. Thus all observed phenotypic variation was based on additive genetic variance and error variance. The average CV declined from 14% to 7.7%. The decline of the CV was in particular expressed during 15-19 h post fertilization and occurred in association with multiple correlations among embryonic traits and a relatively high degree of morphological integration. We suggest that internal constraints determine the patterns of variability during early embryonic development of zebra fish.     

Compensating for delayed hatching across consecutive life‐history stages in an amphibian

Environmental conditions experienced early in the ontogeny can have a strong impact on individual fitness and performance later in life. Organisms may counteract the negative effects of poor developmental conditions by developing compensatory responses in growth and development. However, previous studies on compensatory responses have largely ignored the effects that poor embryonic conditions could have during the later life stages. In this study, we examined the effects of artificially delayed development in early life over two later life history transitions by investigating the compensatory growth of larval moor frogs Rana arvalis in response to temperature variation during embryonic development, and the associated costs during the larval ′and postmetamorphic stages. Low temperature during embryonic stage lead to delayed hatching at smaller size. The groups with delayed embryonic development showed strong compensatory growth during the larval stage, and reached similar metamorphic size than the controls in a shorter time. However, the most strongly delayed group was not able to fully catch up the total development time. These compensatory responses were found in the absence of photoperiod cues indicating that the delay in embryonic development was sufficient to initiate the compensatory response in larval growth and development. No apparent costs of compensatory growth were detected in terms of morphology or locomotor performance at the juvenile stage. We found that compensatory responses can be activated as early as at the embryonic stage and extend over several consecutive life history transitions, mitigating the effects of poor conditions experienced early in development. Potential short‐term costs in natural environments and the occurrence of long‐term costs, which prevent the generalisation of a faster larval life style, are discussed.     

An axon growth associated antigen is also an early marker of neuronal determination

We have previously described the generation of a monoclonal antibody (DSS-3) that binds to all neurons in cockroach embryos at 50% development and to only a small subset of interneurons in the adult nervous system. This developmental stage-specific antigen was observed to reappear in all axotomized adult neurons that were undergoing axonal regeneration. In the present study the time course of the appearance of this growth-associated antigen during embryonic development was determined. Unexpectedly, the antigen was observed to be present in embryonic neurons long before axon growth. In addition, all cells in the CNS neuronal lineage (neuroblasts, ganglion mother cells, and neurons) bind the antibody as soon as they can be morphologically identified. However, the antigen is also transiently present in all neuroepithelial cells at a stage prior to the morphological differentiation of some of them to neuroblasts. Analogous patterns of DSS-3 binding to cells involved in the development of sensory neurons and leg pioneer neurons are observed. The DSS-3 antigen is therefore a very early marker for the capacity of ectodermal epithelial cells to develop along a neuronal lineage.     

Optical indications of electrical activity and excitation-contraction coupling in the early embryonic heart

Complete understanding of the ontogenesis and early development of electrical activity and its related contraction has been hampered by our inability to apply conventional electrophysiological techniques to the early embryonic heart. Direct intracellular measurement of electrical events in the early embryonic heart is impossible because the cells are too small and frail to be impaled with microelectrodes. Optical signals from voltage-sensitive dyes have provided a new and powerful tool for monitoring changes in membrane potential in a wide variety of living preparations. With this technique it is possible to make optical recordings from cells which are inaccessible to microelectrodes. An additional advantage of the optical method for recording membrane potential activity is that electrical activity can be monitored simultaneously from many sites in a preparation. Thus, applying a multiple-site optical recording method with a 100- or 144-element photodiode array and voltage-sensitive dyes, we have been able to monitor for the first time spontaneous electrical activity in pre-fused cardiac primordia in early chick embryos at the 6- and early 7-somite stages of development; we have been able to determine that the time of initiation of the heartbeat is the middle period of the 9-somite stage. In the rat embryonic heart, the onset of spontaneous electrical activity and contraction occurs at the 3-somite stage. This article describes ionic properties of the spontaneous action potential and genesis of excitation-contraction coupling in the early embryonic chick and rat hearts. In addition, an improved view of the ontogenetic sequence of spontaneous electrical activity and its implications for excitation-contraction coupling in the early embryonic heart are proposed and discussed.     

Gene discovery analysis from mouse embryonic stem cells based on time course microarray data

An embryonic stem cell is a powerful tool for investigation of early development in vitro. The study of embryonic stem cell mediated neuronal differentiation allows for improved understanding of the mechanisms involved in embryonic neuronal development. We investigated expression profile changes using time course cDNA microarray to identify clues for the signaling network of neuronal differentiation. For the short time course microarray data, pattern analysis based on the quadratic regression method is an effective approach for identification and classification of a variety of expressed genes that have biological relevance. We studied the expression patterns, at each of 5 stages, after neuronal induction at the mRNA level of embryonic stem cells using the quadratic regression method for pattern analysis. As a result, a total of 316 genes (3.1%) including 166 (1.7%) informative genes in 8 possible expression patterns were identified by pattern analysis. Among the selected genes associated with neurological system, all three genes showing linearly increasing pattern over time, and one gene showing decreasing pattern over time, were verified by RT-PCR. Therefore, an increase in gene expression over time, in a linear pattern, may be associated with embryonic development. The genes: Tcfap2c, Ttr, Wnt3a, Btg2 and Foxk1 detected by pattern analysis, and verified by RT-PCR simultaneously, may be candidate markers associated with the development of the nervous system. Our study shows that pattern analysis, using the quadratic regression method, is very useful for investigation of time course cDNA microarray data. The pattern analysis used in this study has biological significance for the study of embryonic stem cells.     

Long-term culture of decapsulated gastropod embryos: a transplantation study

Encapsulated embryos of the pond snail Helisoma trivolvis have been useful for examining neural development and neural circuit function during development. However, their full potential in developmental studies is limited by the lack of an effective method for long-term culture of decapsulated embryos. In the present study, decapsulated early embryos were either cultivated ex ovo in various media under different environmental conditions or transplanted into host egg capsules. Although diluted capsular fluid, 30% M199, and albumen-gland-conditioned medium were partially effective in promoting embryonic growth for a short time, none of the media promoted normal embryonic development in long-term tests. In contrast, after previously decapsulated and experimentally manipulated embryos were transplanted into host capsules, their growth and development were similar to their intact siblings. In combination with laser ablation, this transplantation technique was used to demonstrate the role played by a pair of serotonergic neurons in regulating an embryonic rotational behavior. These results suggest that embryonic transplantation is an extremely effective technique for achieving long-term growth and development of previously decapsulated embryos and therefore can be instrumental in investigating cell lineage, function, and development in encapsulated embryos.