Implantation is a most important biological process during pregnancy whereby conceptus establishes its survival as well as maintenance of pregnancy. During the periimplantation period, both uterine endometriurn and conceptus synthesize and secrete a host of growth factors and cytokines which mediate the actions of estrogen and /or progesterone and also exert their steroid-independent actions. Growth factors expressed by the materno-conceptal unit en masse have important roles in cell migration, stimulation or inhibition of cell proliferation, cellular differentiation, maintenance of pregnancy and materno-conceptal communications in an autorcrine /paracrine manner. The present review focuses on the role of the intrauterine IGF system during periimplantation conceptus development. The IGF system comprises of IGF- I and IGF- II ligands, types I and II IGF receptors and six or more IGF-binding proteins(IGFBPs). IGFs and IGFBPs are expressed and secreted by uterine endometrium with tissue, pregnancy stage and species specificities under the influence of estrogen, progesterone and other growth factor(s). Conceptus also synthesizes components of the IGF system beginning from a period between 2-cell and blastocyst stages. Maternal IGFs are utilized by both maternal and conceptal tissues; conceptus-derived growth factors are believed to be taken up primarily by conceptus. IGFs enhance the development of both maternal and conceptal compartments in a wide range of biological processes. They stimulate proliferation and differentiation of endometrial cells and placental precursor cells including decidual transformation from stromal cells, placental formation and the synthesis of some steroid and protein hormones by differentiated endometrial cells or placenta. It is also well-documented in a number of experimental settings that both IGFs stimulate preimplantation embryo development. In slight contrast to these, prenatal mice carrying a null mutation of IGF and /or IGF receptor gene do not exhibit any apparent growth retardation until after implantation. Reason (s) for this discrepancy between the knock-out result and the in vitro ones, however, is not known. IGFBPs, in general, are believed to inhibit IGF action within the materno-conceptal unit, thereby allowing endometrial stromal cell differentiation as well as dampening ex cessive placental invasion into maternal tissue. There is evidence, however, indicating that IGFBP can enhance IGF action depending on environrnental conditions perhaps by directioning IGF ligand to the target cell. There is also a third possibility that certain IGFBPs and their proteolytic fragments may have their own biological activities independent of the IGF. In addition to IGFBPs, IGFBP proteases including those found within the uterine tissue or lumen are thought to enhance IGF bioavailability by degrading their substrates without affecting their bound ligand. In this regard, preliminary results in early pregnant pigs suggest that a partially characterized IGFBP protease activity in uterine luminal fluid enhances intrauterine IGF bioavailability during conceptus morphological development. In summary, a number of in vitro results indicate that IGFs stimulates the development of the rnaterno-conceptal unit during the periimplantation period. IGFBPs appear to inhibit IGF action by sequestering their ligands, whereas IGFBP proteases are thought to enhance intrauterine bioavailability of IGFs. Much is remaining to be clarified, however, regarding the roles of the individual IGF system components. These include in vivo evidence for the role of IGFs in early conceptus development, identification of IGF-regulated genes and their functions, specific roles for individual IGFBPs, identification and characterization of IGFBP proteases. The intrauterine IGF club house thus will be paying a lot of attention to forthcoming results in above and other areas, with its door wide-open!

This research was conducted to observe developmental capacity of the early embryos aggrigated to phytohemagglutinin-M(PHA-M) in the culture of mouse embryos in vitro. The results showed that the development of blastocyst increased to 2-celT >< 2-cell : 68. 9%, 4-cell $\times$4-cell : 92.5% and 8-cell $\times$8-cell : 97.3% in the aggrigated embryos of ICR mouse, and 2-cell $\times$ 2-cell : 90.0%, 4-cell $\times$4-cell : 93.9% and 8-cell $\times$ 8-cell : 100% in the aggrigated embryos of two different strains (ICR $\times$ CBA/J mouse). (Key words : aggrigated embryos, in vitro 2-cell block, phytohemagglutinin-M, blastocyst)

토끼에서는 수정란 이식과 같은 기본적인 번식공학적 방법의 효율성이 아직 생쥐와 같은 실험동물에 비해 떨어지고 있어 생물공학적인 기술을 응용하는데 큰 어려움이 있다. 특히 유전자 이식에 의한 형질전환 토끼의 생산과 같은 생물공학적인 기술을 실용화하는데 효율이 높은 수정란이식 기술의 개발이 필수적이라고 할 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 토끼에서 수정란 이식 기술의 첫 단계인 과배란 유도를 효율적으로 이용할 수 있는 방법을 정립하기 위해 반복적인 과배란 유도가 배란율 및 수정란의 질적인 면과 양적인 면에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. 연구방법으로는 FSH와 HCG를 사용하여 과배란을 유도하였고 2.5 개월의 반복처리간격으로 3번의 반복적인 과배란 처리를 한 후 반복처리에 따른 배란율과 배란된 난자의 형태학적 상태, 배양에 의한 발생 능력 상태 등을 감소하였으며 배란수의 변이도 커지는 경향을 나타내었다(첫번째, 32.6(+-)2.5; 두번째 28.7(+-)3.7; 세번째 20.99(+-)3.8). 제 2극체의 돌출, 전핵의 형성, cummulus cell의 존재등에 의한 회수된 난자의 형태학적 관찰에 의한 방법으로 난자를 분류한 결과 과배란의 반복수가 증가함에 따라 다양한 모양의 난자가 회수되어 배란이 광범위한 시간대에 일어나고 있음을 나타내었다. 또한 과배란의 반복적인 유도에 의해 난소의 혈포수는 증가하였으나 채란된 난자의 채외배양에 의한 발육율에는 차이가 없었다. 그러므로 과배란의 반복적인 유도는 공란토의 난소반응에는 영향을 미쳤으나 난자의 질에는 영향을 미치지 않았음을 나타낸다.

To improve the efficiency of production of cloned embryos and animals by nuclear transplantation in the rabbit, the effect of cell cycle of donor nuclei and type of recipient cytoplasm on the in vitro developmental potential and production efficiency of offspring was determined. The embryos of 16-cell stage were collected from the mated does at 48h post-hCG injection and they were synchronized to G$_1$ phase of 32-cell stage. The oocytes collected at 14h post-hCG injection were freed from cumulus cells and then enucleated. One group of the enucleated cytoplasms was activated by electrical stimulation prior to injection of donor nucleus, and the other group was not pre-activated. The separated G$_1$phase blastomeres of 32-cell stage embryos were injected into the perivitelline space of recipient cytoplasms. After culture for 20h post-hCG injection, the nuclear transplant oocytes were electrofused and activated by electrical stimulation and the fused nuclear transplant embryos were co-cultured for 120h and the nuclear transplant embryos developed to blastocyst stage were stained with Hoechst 33342 dye and their blastomeres were counted. Some of the nuclear transplant embryos developed in vitro to 2- to 4-cell stage were transferred into the oviducts of synchronized recipient does. The electrofusion rate was similar between the types of donor nuclei and recipient cytoplasms used. However, the nuclear transplant embryos using G$_1$ phase donor nuclei were developed to blastocyst at higher rate(60.3%) than those using S phase ones(24.7%). Also, when non-preactivated oocytes were used as recipient cytplasms, the develop-mental rates of nuclear transplant embryos to blastocysts were significantly(P< 0.05) higher(57.1%) than those using preactivated ones(20.8%). The cell counts of nuclear transplant embryos developed to blastosyst stage were increased signficantly(P<0.05) more in the non-preactivated recipient cytoplasm(163.7 cells), as compared whit the preactivated recipient cytoplasm(85.4 cells), A total of 49 nuclear transplant embryos were tranferrid into 5 recipient does, of which two offsprings were produced from a foster mother 31 days after embryo transfer. these results showed that the blastomeres of G1 phase and non-preactivated oocytes might be utillzed efficiently as donor nuclei and recipient cytoplasms in the nuclear transplant procedure, thought the offspring production remained still low.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of thiol compounds with bovine oviduct epithlial crlls(BOEC) co culture on development and intracellular glutathione(GSH) concentrations of bovine embryos derived from IVM /IVF oocytes. In experiment 1 and 2, embryos developed to 2~8 cell stage after in vitro fertilization were co-cultured with BOEC in CR$_1$aa with or without $\beta$-mercaptoethanol($\beta$-ME) and cysteamine. The percentage of embryos that developed to morulae and blastocysts in 0,10, 25 and 5O$\pi$M $\beta$-ME with BOEC was 48.1, 64.0, 72.9 and 75.9%, respectively. Twenty-five and 5O$\pi$M $\beta$-ME groups were significantly higher than in 0 and 1O$\pi$M $\beta$- -ME groups(P$\pi$M cysteamine with BOEC was 50.0, 53.2, 72.0 and 66.7%, respectively. Fifty $\pi$M cysteamine group was significantly higher than any other groups (P$_4$aa with 0 and 5O$\pi$M $\beta$-ME or cysteamine were 68.5, 77.8, 78.7 and 80.0pM, respectively. Fifty $\pi$M $\beta$-ME group was significantly higher than that of control(P<0.05), but cysteamine group was not. Cell numbers of blastocysts were not difference in all experimental groups. These experiments indicate that $\beta$-ME and cysteamine with BOEC co-culture can affect the development and intracellular GSH concentrations of bovine embryos produced by IVM /IVF docytes.

The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effects of thiol compounds, $\beta$-mercaptoethanol($\beta$-ME) and cystearrone with buffalo rat liver cell(BRLC) co-culture on the development and intracellular glutathione(GSH) concentrations of bovine embryos produced by in vitro inaturation(IVM) and in vitro fertilization(IVF). Bovine IVM /IVF embryos developed to 2~8 cell stage were co-cultured with BRLC in GRlaa with or without thiol compounds. The developmental rate beyond morulae stage in CRlaa containing 0, 10,25 and 50$\pi$M $\beta$-ME with BRLG were 63.0, 74.0, 72.3 and 77.1%, respectively. And the developmental rate with 0, 25, 50 and 75$\pi$M cystearnine with BRLC were 69.6, 77.6, 81.0 and 76.8%, respectively. The developmental rate beyond morulae stage of GRlaa containing thiol compound with BRLG group was higher than that of control group. The intracellular GSH concentrations of blastocysts cultured for 5 days in GRlaa containing 0 and 50$\pi$M $\beta$-ME or cysteamine with BRLG were 81.2 and 86.4, 83.2 and 84.2pM, respectively. The intracellular GSH concentrations of blastocysts in GRlaa containing thiol compounds with BRLG was slightly higher than that of control group The cell numbers of blastocysts were not difference in all experimental groups. These results indicate that thiol compounds with BRLG co-culture was increased the percentage of developed into morulae and blastocysts, and intracellular GSII concentrations of blastocysts embryos.

In vitro development of bovine embryos is affected by many factors such as energy substrates, amino acids, and some growth factors. It has been reported that mRNA of insulin, PDGF and their receptors are detected in cow embryos, and that some chelating agents such as EDTA and transferrin have beneficial role on mouse and bovine embryos. The author hypothesized that insulin, transferrin arid PDGF added to a culture medium increase in vitro development of bovine embryos by chelating toxic substance(s) or increasing cell growth and metabolism. Immature oocytes from slaughtered ovaries of Holstein cows and heifers were matured for 24 hours in a TCM199 containing 10% fetal calf serum, FSH, LH and estradiol with granulosa cells in vitro. Matured oocytes were coincubated with sperm for 30 hours in a modified Tyrode's medium (IVF). Embryos cleaved to 2- to 4-cell at 30 hours after IVF were selected and cultured in a 30-$\mu$l drop of a synthetic oviduct fluid medium (SOFM) containing 0.8% BSA, Minimum Essential Medium essential and non-essential amino acids, and insulin, transferrin or PDGF for 9 days. Supplementation of a SOFM with insulin, and /or transferrin did not increase develop-mental rate to expanding and hatching blastocyst of 2- to 4-cell bovine embryos compared with control. The highest developmental rate to hatching blastocyst was shown when PDGF was added at the concentration of 10 ng /ml among the supplementing doses tested in the present study (p<0.05). Addition of PDGF without insulin to a SOFM could not increase embrye development, but combined addition of PDGF with insulin significantly increased (p<0.05) embryo development to hatching blastocyst (50%) compared with control (38%). In conclusion, insulin and PDGF supplemented to a SOFM may act synergistically and have beneficial effect on in vitro development of 2- to 4-cell bovine embryos matured and fertilized in vitro.

Supplementation of maturation medium with additional granulosa cells has beneficial effect on in vitro maturation of bovine follicular oocytes and their subsequent cleavage and development in vitro. However, maturation system using granulosa cells have some disadvantages that collection of granulosa cells is cumbersome and metabolic activity of the cells is variable according to ovarian cycle or follicular size. We hypothesized that bovine immsture oocytes matured without granulosa cell coculture can fertilize and develop normally if the medium volume per oocyte is reduced during in vitro maturation. Immature oocytes were matured for 24 hours in a TCM199 containing 10% fetal calf serum, anterior pitultary hormone (0.02 AU /ml Antrinⓡ) and estradiol with or without granulosa cells in vitro. In Group 1, 35 to 40 oocytes were matured in a well of 4-well plastic dish containing 500 $\mu$l of maturation medium and granulosa cells, and 9 to 10 oocytes were matured in a 50-$\mu$l drop of maturation medium without granulosa cells in Group 2. After maturation, oocytes were coincubated with sperm for 30 hours in a modified Tyrode's medium (IVF). Inseminated oocytes were cultured in a microdrop (30 $\mu$l) of a synthetic oviduct fluld medium (SOFM) containing BSA, Minimum Essential Medium essential and non-essential amino acids for 9 days. As a preliminary experiment, we investigated the beneficial effect of granulosa cells during maturation on subsequent cleavage and development using the same type of culturedishes (4-well dish). Granulosa cells could not increase embryo cleavage after fertilization but significantly improved (p<0.05) embryo development to expanding blastocyst (Table1 and 2). In Group 1, 68 and 80% of inseminated oocytes have cleaved at 30 hours and 2 days after IVF, respectively, which is similar (p>0.05) to the result of Group 2 (69% at 30 hours and 78% at 2 days after IVF). The oocytes in Group 2 showed 21 and 11% of developmental rates to expanding and hatching blastocysts, respectively, which was not significantly different (p>0.05) from those (20 and 10%, respectively) of oocytes in Group 1. In conclusion, it has been clarified that a microdrop culture system without granulosa cells for in vitro maturation can support bovine embryonic development to blastocyst in vitro as readily as a granulosa cell coculture system.

The present study was carried out to investigate effect of FSH -P dose and energy level on normal embryo production after superovulation in Hanwoo. The results obtained were as follows ; 1. There was a significant effect of dose of FSH-P on normal embryo production in Hanwoo(P$\pm$5.9), 40(4.9i5.7), 50mg(2.2$\pm$2.6). 2. The plasma P$_4$ levels on the first treatment day were higher group( >4ng /ml) than lower group( <=4ng /ml), produced significicantly(P<0.05) higher number of normal embryos. 3. There was a significant effect of energy level on normal embryo production in Hanwoo(P$\pm$6.0), number of normal embryos were higher than TDN 70%(5.1$\pm$6.5) and TDN 130%(4.4$\pm$2.6) 4. The donor returned to normal estrus after superovulation were 44.8, 28.4 and 29.9 days by TDN 70, 100 and 130%, respectively.

Experiments were conducted to assess the effect of quality and viability of bovine blastocysts derived from in-vitro culture(IVC) of in vitro matured and fertilized(IVM-IVF) oocytes during their transport 2 hours. Follicular oocytes were collected form ovaries obtained at a slaughterhouse and were cultured for 24 hours in TCM-199. The IVM oocytes were fertilized in vitro with caudal epididymis spermatozoa. Fertilized oocytes were cultured for 7 to 9 days, and embryos that developed to the blastocyst stage were used for the experiment. The blastocysts, packed in straws with storage medium that consisted TCM-199 with HEPES equilibratd in air and supplemented with 10% FCS were transported at 39~(2.0 h). The quality of blastocysts was assessed and ranked as A(excel-lent), B(Good), fair or poor after transportation. The percentages of A and B grade blastocysts after transport duration for < 1 hours(97.7%) were similar to the result from transport duration for 1~2 hours (92.9%) and 2~3 hours(89.6%), but significantly(P<0.05) higher than transpot duration for 3~4 hours(76.3%). The percentages of A and B grade blastocysts after transport duration for two hours from developed blastocyst at 7day(100%) and 8day(85.0%) were higher 9day(96.6%) and >9day (40.0%). And early to expanded blastocyst produced in vitro were transferred to recipient cow by additional embryos at 7 and 8th day after AI. Three of them were pregnant to term and produced four twin calves, and two calves was premature birth. The gestation lengths of male to female and female to female twin were 282 and 281 days, respectively. And birth weight of twin calves were male to female(22.Skg) and female to female twin(20.3Okg), respectively.

This study was undertaken in an effort to develop a cryopreservation system of immature and mature porcine oocytes. For this aim, the experiments were designed to examine the effect of cryoprotectants and equdibration time on the viability of frozen-thawed oocytes by using trypan blue(TB) and fluorescene diacetate(FDA) test. The viability of frozen immature oocytes evaluated by TB test was slightly higher than that of frozen mature oocytes. The viability(25.O%) after IVM of frozen-thawed immature oocytes greatly decreased that(42.9%) of oocytes just after thawing, but it was higher than frozen-thawed mature oocytes(15.8%). When immature oocytes were equilibrated for 10, 20 and 30 minutes before freezing the oocyte viability was 20.0, 31.3 and 42.9%, respectively. There was a tendency for long equilibration before oocyte freezing to be more effective for the immature oocytes and a short equilibration time for mature oocytes. Although there was no difference in viability index of frozen oocytes hetween the viability test methods, the index of TB test was slightly higher than that of FDA test. The viability(FDA test) of frozen-immature oocytes with 3 different crtoprotectants was 22.2% for propylene glycol(PG), 9.3% for polyehtylene glycol(PEG) and 65.6% for PG+PEG, in which PG+PEG was more protective against freezing effect.

수정란이식의 주변기술인 초기배의 미세조작및 성 판정은 가축의 경우, 경제 형질의 유전적 개량에 크게 기여하였다. 본 연구는 미세조작 biopsy와 PCR에 의한 체외생산 소 초기배의 급속. 정확한 성 판정 기법을 확립하기 위해 실시하였다. 체외성숙 및 체외수정에 의해 생산된 소수정란은 소 난관상피세포와 공배양을 통해 8-세포부터 배반포시시까지 체외발생시킨 후 미세조작 biopsy에 이용되었다. 미세조작 biopsy 과정중에 약간의 형태적인 손상이 관찰되었지만 대부분의 demi-embryo는 정상적인 배반포와 나화배반포로 발생하였다. 8~16 세포, 상실배, 초기배반, 포 시기에서 미세조작 biopsy 후 확장 또는 나환배반포기시기까지의 발달율은 각각 62.8(27/43), 83.3(30/36) 및 80.9%(55/68)로 정상적인 초기배와 큰 차이가 없는 것으로 나타났다. 총 136개의 소 초기배로 부터 2~10개의 할구세포를 미세조작 biopsy에 의해 분리하여 소 특이와 Y-특이염기서열을 가진 두 쌍의 염기서열을 이용하여 PCR을 수해하였다. 이들중 112(82.4%)개를 성공적으로 성 판정하였으며, 암/수 비율은 각각 34.8(39/112)/65.2%(73/112)로 나타났다. 본 실험에서 얻은 결과는 확립된 소 초기배의 미세조작기술과 성 판정 방법을 통해 계획적인 암.수 송아지의 선별 생산뿐만 아니라 소 수정란 이식을 통한 유전적 개량을 촉진시키는데 효과적으로 이용될 수 있는 기술이 확립된 것을 보여주었다.

The aims of this study are to establish a stable isolation method of blastomeres from bovine early embryos and examine their developmental potential in vitro Early embryos were produced by maturation and fertilizaion in vitro of bovine follicular oocytes. Blastomeres were isolated from 2~8-cell embryos in $Ca^2$+-, $Mg^2$+-free PBS+EDTA after removing the zonae pellucidae Isolated blastomeres were cultured in CZB containing BOEC for upto 240 hpi. Cleavage rates of them were 18.5%(10 /54) in 1 /2 blastomeres, 33.3%(16/48) in 1/4 blastomeres and 34.2%(14 /41) in 1/8 blastomeres, respectively. The rates of blastocystic vesicle formed were 8.7%(4 /46) in 1/2 blastomeres, 26.6% (17/64) in 1/4 blastomeres and 10.3%(8 /78) in 1/8 blastomeres, respectively. Blastomeres developed into various types of blastocystic vesicles and trophoblastic vesicles as evidenced by the Hoechst 33258 staining and morphology. This results suggest that the isolation method used and subsequent culture of isolated blastomeres from bovine early embryos should be useful to obtain extra embryonic cells for various analyses such as PCR and putative ES cell culture.