• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.121-121
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• 2003

The standard protocol for the production of transgenic mouse from ES-injected embryo has to process via chimera producing and several times breeding steps, In contrast, tetraploid-ES cell complementation method allows the immediate generation of targeted murine mutants from genetically modified ES cell clones. The advantage of this advanced technique is a simple and efficient without chimeric intermediates. Recently, this method has been significantly improved through the discovery that ES cells derived from hybrid strains support the development of viable ES mice more efficiently than inbred ES cells do. Therefore, the objective of this study was to generate transgenic mice overexpressing human resistin gene by using tetrapioid-ES cell complementation method. Human resistin gene was amplified from human fetal liver cDNA library by PCR and cloned into pCR 2.1 TOPO T-vector and constructed in pCMV-Tag4C vector. Human resistin mammalian expression plasmid was transfected into D3-GL ES cells by lipofectamine 2000, and then after 8~10 days of transfection, the human resistin-expressing cells were selected with G418. In order to produce tetraploid embryos, blastomeres of diploid embryos at the two-cell stage were fused with two times of electric pulse using 60 V 30 $\mu$sec. (fusion rate : 93.5%) and cultured upto the blastocyst stage (development rate : 94.6%). The 15~20 previously G418-selected ES cells were injected into tetraploid blastocysts, and then transferred into the uterus of E2.5d pseudopregnant recipient mice. To investigate the gestation progress, two El9.5d fetus were recovered by Casarean section and one fetus was confirmed to contain human resistin gene by genomic DNA-PCR. Therefore, this finding demonstrates that tetraploid-ES mouse technology can be considered as a useful tool to produce transgenic mouse for the rapid analysis of gene function in vivo.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2005

Identification of differentially expressed genes at blastocyst stage embryos would provide insights into early development and differentiation. Here, we applied a new differential display reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(DD RT-PCR) technology, called annealing control primers(ACP) system to identify the genes that are specifically or prominently expressed in mouse blastocysts compared to embryonic stem(ES) cells. Using 100 ACPs, 26 clones were perceived as differentially expressed genes in mouse blastocysts. A BLAST search revealed that cloned genes had significant sequence similarities with known genes in the GenBank/EMBL data base. Among them, 15 genes were selected and conformed by RT-PCR. This analysis suggests that the ACP system is a practical method for the identification of stage-specific genes using small numbers of mouse embryos.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1641-1646
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• 2004

The objective of this study was to generate transgenic mice expressing human resistin gene by using the tetraploidembryonic stem (ES) cell complementation method. Human resistin gene was amplified from human fetal liver cDNA library by PCR, cloned into $pCR^{(R)}$ 2.1 $TOPO^{(R)}$ vector and constructed in pCMV-Tag4C vector. Mammalian expression plasmid containing human resistin was transfected into D3-GL ES cells by Lipofectamine 2,000, and then after 10-12 days of transfection, the human resistin-expressing cells were selected with G418. In order to produce tetraploid embryos, blastomeres of diploid embryos at the two-cell stage were fused with two times of electric pulse using 60 V 30 $\mu$sec (fusion rate: 2,114/2,256, 93.5%) and cultured up to the blastocyst stage (development rate: 1,862/2,114, 94.6%). The selected 15-20 ES cells were injected into tetraploid blastocysts, and then transferred into the uteri of E 2.5 d pseudopregnant recipient mice. To investigate the gestation progress, two E 19.5 mused fetuses were recovered by Cesarean section of which one fetus was confirmed to contain human resistin gene by genomic DNA-PCR. Therefore, our findings demonstrate that tetraploid-ES mouse technology can be considered as a useful tool to produce transgenic mice for the rapid analysis of gene function in vivo.

• Proceedings of the Botanical Society of Korea Conference
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• 1987.07a
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• pp.213-237
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• 1987

In vitro flowering system may minimize the confounded influence of non-floral meristem parts of plants in studying the relationship of a given treatment and flowering responses. We have induced flower buds from plantlets regenerated from zygotic embryo-derived somatic embryos of ginseng, which circumvented the normal 2-year juvenile period before flowering. The result suggests that the adulthood of ginseng root explants in the experiment previously conducted by Chang and Hsing (1980; Nature 284: 341-342) is not prerequired to flowering of plantlets regenerated through somatic embryogenesis. We have also induced flower buds from elongated axillary brandches from cotyledonary nodes by culturing ginseng zygotic embryos, seedlings, and excised cotyledonary nodes. It was found that 6-benzyladenine (BA) supplemented to the medium was essential for flowering, whereas abscisic acid (ABA) was inhibitory. Gibberellic acid(GA3) was also required for flowering when ABA was present with BA in the medium. The results suggest that cytokinins, gibberellins, and inhibitors play primary, permissive, and preventive roles, respective-ly, in the induction of flowering of ginseng. Tran Thanh Van (1980; Int. Rev. Cytol., Suppl. IIA: 175-194) has developed the "thin cell layer system" in which the induction of shoots, roots, or flower buds from epidermal layer explants were controlled by culture conditions and exogenous growth regulators in the medium, Utilizing the thin cell layer system, Meeks-Wagner et al. (1989; The Plant Cell 1: 25-35) have cloned genes specifically expressed during floral evocation. However, the system is too tedious for obtaining a sufficient amount of plant materials for biochmical and molecular biological studies of flowering. We have developed a garlic callus culture system and one obvious advantaging over the thin cell layer system is that an abundant cells committed to develope into flower buds proliferate. When the above cells were compared by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis with those which have just lost the competence for developing into flower buds, a few putative proteins specific to floral evocation were detected. The garlic callus culture system can be further explored for elucidation of the molecular biological mechanism of floral evocation and morphogenesis.hogenesis.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 2005

The present study was conducted to examine some factors affecting in vitro development of oocytes from somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in Korean native goats. Recipient oocytes were surgically collected after superovulation by using CIDR and FSH, PMSG, hCG and estrous synchronization in Korean Native goats. For nuclear transfer, the fibroblasts from caprine ear cells and fetal fibroblasts were surgically harvested and were cultured in vitro until cell confluency in serum-starvation condition (TCM-199 + $0.5\%$ FBS) for 3 to 5 days. The zona pellucidae of matured oocytes were partially drilled by laser irradiation. A single somatic cell was individually transferred into each enucleated oocyte. The reconstructed oocytes were then electrically fused and activated. Activated NT embryos were cultured in mSOF medium supplemented with $0.8\%\;BSA\;6\~7\;day\;at\;39^{\circ}C,\;5\%\;CO_2,\;5\%\;O_2,\;90\%\;N_2$ in air. There were no significant difference in the number of embryos cleaved and 4-cell development between the fibroblast nuclei from mature ear cells and fetal cells, but the rate of 8-cell development was higher (P<0.05) in ear cells $(40.5\%)$ than in fetal cells $(55.5\%)$. However, the embryo development to morula or blastocyst was not significantly different between both the groups$(6.7\%\;vs\;16.0\%)$, respectively. The number of embryo cleaved $(79.0\%)$ were higher (P<0.05) in the oocytes activated with ionomycin+6-DMAP than in the oocytes activated electrically $(9.5\%)$. The development of fused embryos to morula or blastocyst was found $15.6\%$ in ionomycin+6-DMAP, but no morula or blastocysts were developed in electrical stimulation. The development rate of SCNT embryos to morula or blastocyst was love. (P<0.05) in SCNT embryos $(19.0\%\;vs\;0.0\%)$ than that in parthenotes $(66.1\%\;vs\;59.1\%)$. In the parthenotes, the cleavage rate and development to morula or blastocyst were significantly higher (P<0.05) as $86.8\%\;and\;50.0\%$ in ovulated oocytes than in follicular oocytes $(69.0\%\;vs\;23.6\%)$, respectively. These results suggest that some factors Including superovulation treatment, oocyte source, maturation of follicular oocytes, activation method and culture condition may affect in vitro developmental capability of embryos produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer in Korean Native goats, and the fusion rate be greatly low compared with other species.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.79-84
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• 2011

This study was performed to identify the differentially methylated region (DMR) and to examine the mRNA expression of the imprinted H19 gene in day 35 of SCNT pig fetuses. The fetus and placenta at day 35 of gestation fetuses after natural mating (Control) or of cloned pig by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) were isolated from a uterus. To investigate the mRNA expression and methylation patterns of H19 gene, tissues from fetal liver and placenta including endometrial and extraembryonic tissues were collected. The mRNA expression was evaluated by real-time PCR and methylation pattern was analyzed by bisulfite sequencing method. Bisulfite analyses demonstrated that the differentially methylated region (DMR) was located between -1694 bp to -1338 bp upstream from translation start site of the H19 gene. H19 DMR (-1694 bp to -1338 bp) exhibits a normal mono allelic methylation pattern, and heavily methylated in sperm, but not in oocyte. In contrast to these finding, the analysis of the endometrium and/or extraembryonic tissues from SCNT embryos revealed a complex methylation pattern. The DNA methylation status of DMR Region In porcine H19 gene upstream was hypo methylated in SCNT tissues but hypermethylated in control tissues. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of H19 gene in liver, endometrium, and extraembryonic tissues was significantly higher in SCNT than those of control (p<0.05). These results suggest that the aberrant mRNA expression and the abnormal methylation pattern of imprinted H19 gene might be closely related to the inadequate fetal development of a cloned fetus, contributing to the low efficiency of genomic reprogramming.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.164-167
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• 2004

This study was carried out to investigate in vitro fertilization and development of in vitro matured pig oocytes inseminated with the Duroc boar sperm by different sperm washing media after thawing of the 5 ml frozen straws. Immature follicular oocytes (30-40) were transferred into each well of a Nunc 4-well multidish containing $500{\mu}l$ mTCM199 maturation medium. The sperm rich portion of ejaculates was collected into a 250 ml insulated vacuum bottle and gradually cooled 22 to $24^{\circ}C$ over a 2 h period. Semen was centrifuged at 800 g for 10 min and the seminal plasma discarded. Sperm were esuspended in a lactose-egg yolk and N-acetyl-Dglucosamine (LEN) diluent to contain $1{\times}10^{9}$ sperm/ml and cooled to $5^{\circ}C$ over a 2 h period. Immediately before freezing, semen was rediluted with an equal volume of LEN+4% glycerol and packed into 5 ml straws. After thawing of the 5 ml straw, the 5 ml semen was diluted with 20 ml Beltsville thawing solution (BTS) at room temperature. Oocytes were inseminated with untreated (unwashed and nonpreincubated) or treated sperm (washed two times in BTS, mTLP-PVA and mTBM media, respectively and nonpreincubated) with $2{\times}10^{7}$ sperm concentration. Oocytes were coincubated for 6 h in $500{\mu}l$ mTBM fertilization. At 6 h after IVF, oocytes were transferred into $500{\mu}l$ NCSU-23 culture medium for further culture of 6 h. Sperm penetration, polyspermy and male pronuclear formation of oocytes at 12 h after IVF and developmental ability of oocytes at 48 h after IVF were evaluated. Sperm penetration rate, male pronuclear formation and rate of cleaved embryos were higher in the BTS, mTLP-PVA and mTBM treatments than the unwashed treatment (p<0.05). The rate of blastocysts from the cleaved oocytes (2-4 cell stage) were higher in the mTLP-PVA treatment than in the unwashed, BTS and mTBM treatments. In conclusion, we recommend the washing of frozen-thawed sperm with mTLP-PVA medium before in vitro fertilization of oocytes in mTBM medium.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.1680-1688
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• 2013

Many different approaches have been developed to improve the efficiency of animal cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), one of which is to modify histone acetylation levels using histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) such as trichostatin A (TSA). In the present study, we examined the effect of TSA on in vitro development of porcine embryos derived from SCNT. We found that TSA treatment (50 nM) for 24 h following oocyte activation improved blastocyst formation rates (to 22.0%) compared with 8.9% in the non-treatment group and total cell number of the blastocysts for determining embryo quality also increased significantly ($88.9{\rightarrow}114.4$). Changes in histone acetylation levels as a result of TSA treatment were examined using indirect immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy scanning. Results showed that the histone acetylation level in TSA-treated embryos was higher than that in controls at both acetylated histone H3 lysine 9 (AcH3K9) and acetylated histone H4 lysine 12 (AcH4K12). Next, we compared the expression patterns of seven genes (OCT4, ID1; the pluripotent genes, H19, NNAT, PEG1; the imprinting genes, cytokeratin 8 and 18; the trophoblast marker genes). The SCNT blastocysts both with and without TSA treatment showed lower levels of OCT4, ID1, cytokeratin 8 and 18 than those of the in vivo blastocysts. In the case of the imprinting genes H19 and NNAT, except PEG1, the SCNT blastocysts both with and without TSA treatment showed higher levels than those of the in vivo blastocysts. Although the gene expression patterns between cloned blastocysts and their in vivo counterparts were different regardless of TSA treatment, it appears that several genes in NT blastocysts after TSA treatment showed a slight tendency toward expression patterns of in vivo blastocysts. Our results suggest that TSA treatment may improve preimplantation porcine embryo development following SCNT.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2012

DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1) gene contains three different isoform transcripts, Dnmt1s, Dnmt1o, and Dnmt1p, are produced by alternative usage of multiple first exons. Dnmt1o is specific to oocytes and preimplantation embryos, whereas Dnmt1s is expressed in somatic cells. Here we determined that porcine Dnmt1o gene had differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in 5'-flanking region, while those were not found in the Dnmt1s promoter region. The methylation patterns of the porcine Dnmt1o/Dnmt1s DMRs were investigated using bisulfite sequencing and pyrosequencing analysis through all preimplantation stages from one cell to blastocyst stage in in vivo or somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The Dnmt1o DMRs contained 8 CpG sites, which located in -640 bp to -30 bp upstream region from transcription start site of the Dnmt1o gene. The methylation status of 5 CpGs within the Dnmt1o DMRs were distinctively different at each stage from one-cell to blastocyst stage in the $in$ $vivo$ or SCNT, respectively. 55.62% methylation degree of the Dnmt1o DMRs in the $in$ $vivo$ was increased up to 84.38% in the SCNT embryo, moreover, $de$ $novo$ methylation and demethylation occurred during development of porcine embryos from the one-cell stage to the blastocyst stage. However, the DNA methylation states at CpG sites in the Dnmt1s promoter regions were hypomethylated, and dramatically not changed through one-cell to blastocyst stage in the $in$ $vivo$ or SCNT embryos. In the present study, we demonstrated that the DMRs in the promoter region of the porcine Dnmt1o was well conserved, contributing to establishment and maintenance of genome-wide patterns of DNA methylation in early embryonic development.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2004

This study was conducted to investigate the developmental ability of caprine embryos after somatic cell interspecies nuclear transfer. Recipient bovine and porcine oocytes were obtained from slaughterhouse and were matured in vitro according to established protocols. Donor cells were obtained from an ear-skin biopsy of a caprine, digested with 0.25% trypsin-EDTA in PBS and primary fibroblast cultures were established in TCM-199 with 10% FBS. The matured oocytes were dipped in D-PBS plus 10% FBS ＋ 7.5 $\mu$ g/ml cytochalasin B and 0.05M sucrose. Enucleation were accomplished by aspirating the first polar body and partial cytoplasm which containing metaphase II chromosomes using a micropipette with an out diameter of 20∼30 $\mu$m. A Single donor cell was individually transferred into the perivitelline space of each enucleated oocyte. The reconstructed oocytes were electric fusion with 0.3M mannitol fusion medium. After the electrofusion, embryos were activated by electric stimulation. Interspecies nuclear transfer embryos with bovine cytoplasts were cultured in TCM-199 medium supplemented with 10% FBS including bovine oviduct epithelial cells for 7∼9 day. And porcine cytoplasts were cultured in NCSU-23 medium supplemented with 10% FBS for 6 ∼8 day at $39^{\circ}C, 5% CO_2 $in air. Interspecies nuclear transfer by recipient bovine oocytes were fused with electric length 1.95 kv/cm and 2.10 kv/cm. There was no significant difference between two electric length in fusion rate(47.7 and 44.6%) and in cleavage rate(41.9 and 54.5%). Using electric length 1.95 kv/cm and 2.10 kv/cm in caprine-porcine NT oocytes, there was also no significant difference between two treatments in fusion rate(51.3 and 46.1%) and in cleavage rate(75.0 and 84.9%). The caprine-bovine NT oocytes fusion rate was lower(P＜0.05) in 1 pulse for 60 $\mu$sec(19.3%), than those from 1 pulse for 30 $\mu$sec(50.8%) and 2 pulse for 30 $\mu$sec(31.0%). The cleavage rate was higher(P＜0.05) in 1 pulse for 30 $\mu$sec(53.3%) and 2 pulse for 30 $\mu$sec(50.0%), than in 1 pulse for 60 $\mu$sec(18.2%). The caprine-porcine NT oocytes fusion rate was 48.1% in 1 pulse for 30 $\mu$sec, 45.2% in 2 pulse for 30 $\mu$sec and 48.6% in 1 pulse for 60 $\mu$sec. The cleavage rate was higher(P＜0.05) in 1 pulse for 30 $\mu$sec(78.4%) and 1 pulse for 60 $\mu$sec(79.4%), than in 2 pulse for 30 $\mu$sec(53.6%). In caprine-bovine NT embryos, the developmental rate of morula and blastocyst stage embryos were 22.6% in interspecies nuclear transfer and 30.6% in parthenotes, which was no significant differed. The developmental rate of morula and blastocyst stage embryos with caprine-porcine NT embryos were lower(P＜0.05) in interspecies nuclear transfer(5.1%) than parthenotes(37.4%).