Effect of volume of oocyte cytoplasm on embryo development after parthenogenetic activation, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or somatic cell nuclear transfer

Animal cloning methods are now well described and are becoming routine. Yet, the frequency at which live cloned offspring are produced remains below 5%, irrespective of the nuclear donor species or cell type. One possible explanation is that the reprogramming factor(s) of each oocyte is insufficient or not properly adapted for the receipt of a somatic cell nucleus, because it is naturally prepared only for the receipt of a gamete. Here, we have increased the oocyte volume by oocyte fusion and examined its subsequent development. We constructed oocytes with volumes two to nine times greater than the normal volume by the electrofusion or mechanical fusion of intact and enucleated oocytes. We examined their in vitro and in vivo developmental potential after parthenogenetic activation, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). When the fused oocytes were activated parthenogenetically, most developed to morulae or blastocysts, regardless of their original size. Diploid fused oocytes were fertilized by ICSI and developed normally and after embryo transfer, we obtained 12 (4-15%) healthy and fertile offspring. However, enucleated fused oocytes could not support the development of mice cloned by SCNT. These results suggest that double fused oocytes have normal potential for development after fertilization, but oocytes with extra cytoplasm do not have enhanced reprogramming potential.     

Survival and death of epiblast cells during embryonic stem cell derivation revealed by long-term live-cell imaging with an Oct4 reporter system

Despite the broad literature on embryonic stem cells (ESCs), their derivation process remains enigmatic. This may be because of the lack of experimental systems that can monitor this prolonged cellular process. Here we applied a live-cell imaging technique to monitor the process of ESC derivation over 10 days from morula to outgrowth phase using an Oct4/eGFP reporter system. Our imaging reflects the ‘natural’ state of ESC derivation, as the ESCs established after the imaging were both competent in chimeric mice formation and germ-line transmission. Using this technique, ESC derivation in conventional conditions was imaged. After the blastocoel was formed, the intensity of Oct4 signals attenuated in the trophoblast cells but was maintained in the inner cell mass (ICM). Thereafter, the Oct4-positive cells scattered and their number decreased along with apoptosis of the other Oct4-nagative cells likely corresponds to trophoblast and hypoblast cells, and then only the surviving Oct4-positive cells proliferated and formed the colony. All embryos without exception passed through this cell death phase. Importantly, the addition of caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK to the medium dramatically suppressed the loss of Oct4-positive cells and also other embryo-derived cells, suggesting that the cell deaths was induced by a caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway. Next we imaged the ESC derivation in 3i medium, which consists of chemical compounds that can suppress differentiation. The most significant difference between the conventional and 3i methods was that there was no obvious cell death in 3i, so that the colony formation was rapid and all of the Oct4-positive cells contributed to the formation of the outgrown colony. These data indicate that the prevention of cell death in epiblast cells is one of the important events for the successful establishment of ESCs. Thus, our imaging technique can advance the understanding of the time-dependent cellular changes during ESC derivation.     

Translesion replication of benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[c]phenanthrene diol epoxide adducts of deoxyadenosine and deoxyguanosine by human DNA polymerase iota

Human DNA polymerase ι (polι) is a Y-family polymerase whose cellular function is presently unknown. Here, we report on the ability of polι to bypass various stereoisomers of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) diol epoxide (DE) and benzo[c]phenanthrene (BcPh) DE adducts at deoxyadenosine (dA) or deoxyguanosine (dG) bases in four different template sequence contexts in vitro. We find that the BaP DE dG adducts pose a strong block to polι-dependent replication and result in a high frequency of base misincorporations. In contrast, misincorporations opposite BaP DE and BcPh DE dA adducts generally occurred with a frequency ranging between 2 × 10^–3 and 6 × 10^–4. Although dTMP was inserted efficiently opposite all dA adducts, further extension was relatively poor, with one exception (a cis opened adduct derived from BcPh DE) where up to 58% extension past the lesion was observed. Interestingly, another human Y-family polymerase, polκ, was able to extend dTMP inserted opposite a BaP DE dA adduct. We suggest that polι might therefore participate in the error-free bypass of DE-adducted dA in vivo by predominantly incorporating dTMP opposite the damaged base. In many cases, elongation would, however, require the participation of another polymerase more specialized in extension, such as polκ.     

(2S)-2-Amino-5-chloro-4-hydroxy-5-hexenoic acid,a new chloroamino acid,and related compounds fromAmanita gymnopus

Combining different chromatography systems, unusual nonprotein amino acids were isolated and unequivocally identified from a small amount (less than 100 g fresh weight) ofAmanita gymnopus fruit body. Without obtaining crystals of these amino acids, on the basis of¹H-NMR determination, high resolution mass spectrometry, chlorine analysis and oxidation with L-amino acid oxidase, one of them proved to be a new chloroamino acid, (2S)-2-amino-5-chloro-4-hydroxy-5-hexenoic acid (G2). The other three were (2S)-2-amino-5-hexenoic acid (G1), (2S)-2-amino-4,5-hexadienoic acid (G3) and (2S)-2-amino-5-hexynoic acid (G4). Amino acid (G1) was also encountered for the first time in natural products. Amino acid (G3) has been reported from several kinds of fungi belonging toAmanita, subgenusLepidella. The occurrence of amino acid (G4) was already reported fromCortinarius claricolor.Part 23 in the series Biochemical studies of nitrogen compounds in fungi. Part 22, Hatanaka, S. I. et al. 1985. Trans. Mycol. Soc. Japan26: 61–68.     

Application of the DNA adductome approach to assess the DNA-damaging capability of in vitro micronucleus test-positive compounds

The in vitro micronucleus (MN) test is widely used for screening genotoxic compounds, but it often produces false-positive results. To consider the significance of positive results, it is important to know whether DNA adducts are formed in the cells treated with the test compound. Recently, Matsuda et al. developed the DNA adductome approach to detect DNA adducts comprehensively ([4] Kanaly, et al., Antioxid. Redox Signal., 2006, 8, 993-1001). We applied this method to assess the DNA-damaging capability of in vitro MN test-positive compounds. CHL/IU cells were treated with compounds from three categories: (1) carcinogens causing DNA alkylation, ethyl methanesulfonate and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine; (2) carcinogens producing DNA bulky adducts, 2-amino-6-phenyl-1-methylimidazo[4,5-b]pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene, and 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide, and (3) non-carcinogens, caffeine, maltol, and sodium chloride, with or without metabolic activation. With the conditions in which all test compounds gave positive results in the MN tests, DNA was extracted from the cells and hydrolyzed to deoxyribonucleosides, which were subsequently subjected to LC/ESI-MS/MS analysis. All carcinogens (categories 1 and 2) produced various DNA adduct peaks, and some of the m/z peak values corresponded to known adducts. No non-carcinogens produced DNA adducts, indicating that these compounds produced MN through different mechanisms from the adduct formation. These results indicate that the adductome approach is useful to demonstrate DNA damage formation of MN test-positive compounds and to understand their mechanisms of action.     

Enantioseparation on 4-halogen-substituted phenylcarbamates of amylose as chiral stationary phases for high-performance liquid chromatography

Four 4-halogen-substituted phenylcarbamate derivatives of amylose were prepared and their chiral recognition abilities as chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were evaluated and compared with those of the corresponding cellulose derivatives. The amylose derivatives with fluoro, chloro, bromo, or iodo group at the four-position on the phenyl group were found to show higher chiral resolving ability than the corresponding cellulose derivatives. Among four amylose derivatives 4-fluoro- and 4-chlorophenylcarbamates showed an excellent chiral recognition ability. Especially, amylose tris(4-chlorophenylcarbamate) resolved (±)-1,2,2,2-tetraphenylethanol with a very high α value (α = 8.29). In order to obtain useful information concerning the chiral recognition mechanism of this resolution, we also performed enantioseparation of a variety of analogous racemic alcohols, and found that both the hydroxy and bulky triphenylmethyl groups of the racemate are essential for the effective chiral recognition. Chirality 9:63–68, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Optimal control of a semibatch fermentation

This work is concerned with the optimization study of the semibatch fermentation by which an amino acid is produced. The particular fermentation studied is the synthesis of lysine by the auxotrophic mutant. Applying Green's theorem to the maximization problem was proposed, and it succeeded in determining the feed rate of the substrate that maximized the production rate of the desired product.