• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 1994

The present experiments on cryopreservation were designed to examine the effects of solution toxicity, equilibration time and cell stages on the post-thaw survival of bovine IVF embryos. The oocytes were matured in vitro(IVM) for 24 hrs. in TCM-199 supplemented with 35 $\mu$g /ml FSH, 10 $\mu$g /ml LH, 1 $\mu$g /ml estradiol-17$\beta$ and granulosa cells at 39$^{\circ}C$ under 5% $CO_2$ in air. They were fertilized in vitro(IVF) by epididymal spermatozoa treated with heparin for 24 hrs., and then the zygotes were co-cultured in vitro(IVC) with bovine oviductal epithelial cells for 7 to 9 days. The bovine IVF embryos were exposed to the EFS solution in one step at room temperature, kept in the EFS solution during different period for toxicity test, vitrified in liquid nitrogen, and thawed rapidly. 1. after the bovine blastocysts were exposed to EFS solution for 2 min. at room temperature and then they were washed in 0.5 M sucrose solution and TCM-199, they were cultured to examined cryoprotectant induced injury during exposure, Most of the embryos(95.0%) developed to reexpanded blastocoels. However, when the exposure time was extended to 5 and 10 min, these development rates dropped dramatically in 5 min. (69.5%) and 10 min. (47.4%), respectively, 2. When the bovine IVF embryos were vitrified in EFS solution after the equilibration for 1 and 2 min. exposure, The embryos to have reexpanded blastocoels following thawing, washing and culture processes were found to he 82.6 and 73.9%, respectively. However, when the exposure time was extended to 3 min, this survival rate dropped to 18.2%. The optimal time for equilibration of bovine IVF blastocysts in EFS solution seemed to he 1~2 min. 3. When the bovine IVF embryos were equilibrated for 1 min. the significantly (P<0. 05) higher post-thaw survival rates were obtained from the embryos of blastocyst stage(81.3%) than morulae stage(5. 1%). The optimal cell stage for viterification with EFS solution proven to he blastocyst stage in bovine IVF embryos. 4. The number of blastomeres of blastocyst stage was examined with nuclear staining with Hoechst 33342 during 7 to 9 days post-insemination. The cell counts of frozen bovine IVF embryos were found significantly(P$\geq$7.5 and those of the fresh embryos 76.6$\geq$7. 1, which were cultured in the sarne period and conditions as frozen embryos.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.127-135
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• 1996

An efficient system of somatic embryogenesis was established for the red pepper plant (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Nokkwang) usign immature zygotic embryos. The size of the immature zygotic embryos and the concentrations of 2, 4-D and sucrose were found to be critical. Somatic embryos were induced via callus or directly from explants and regenerated into plantlets successfully. When zygotic embryos 1~2 mm long were cultured on the modified Murashige-Skoong (MS) medium supplemented with 2 mg/L 2, 4-D for 3 weeks in the dark, somatic embryos were induced directly from the apical region of zygotic embryos with the highest frequency being approximately 90%. To mature the somatic embryos, ABA and an ethylene inhibitor AgNO3 were used. The highest frequency of shoot regeneration (25% in each) resulted at 2$\mu$M ABA or 20$\mu$M AgNO3 treatment at rates 3.7 and 1.6 times control, respectively. Shoots developed mainly from the cotyledonary node on CoCl2-containing medium, and from the upper side of cotyledon on medium containing AgNO3 while the embryos on the control medium produced shoots from both the cotyledonary node and the upper region of cotyledons both at frequencies of 50%. Indirect somatic embryogenesis via callus was induced at an efficiency of approximately 10% with zygotic embryos 3~4 mm long cultured on MS medium containing 5~10 mg/L, 2, 4-D for 5~7 weeks under a continuous light condition. The plants regenerated from the somatic embryos were morphologically normal. Using scanning electron microscopy, the direct and indirect somatic embryogeneses were observed to follow the globular, heart and torpedo stages, similar to zygotic embryogenesis. Also, suspensors appeared in the early globular and ovoid-shaped late globular embryos during indirect somatic embryogenesis.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.157-164
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• 1995

Intact mature zygotic embryos or their excised cotyledons of ginseng, were cultured on media containing various growth regulators such as auxin (2,4D, IAA) and cytokinin(BAP kinetin). In the culture of intact zygotic embryos, auxin inhibited germination but cytokinin did not Somatic embryogenesis occurred only from those of ungerminated embryos. In the culture of cotyledon segment, medium without growth regulators was the most appropriate to somatic embryogenesis. Somatic embryos were produced sporadically over the surfaces of zygotic embryos on medium containing auxin, while on medium without growth regulators, or media containing cytokinin, somatic embryos formed only on the proximal region of cotyledon. on medium containing 2,4-D, somatic embryos originated from multiple cells which comprised epidermal and subepidermal layers of cotyledon, which resulted in poly-somatic embryogenesis. When these somatic embryos were cultured on the same medium, the primary somatic embryos procured secondary embryos, which arose from epidermal or subepidermal single cells.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.271-277
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• 2000

This study was conducted to establish the optimal culture conditions for in vitro production of bovine embryos derived from slaughter house ovaries. Cumulus-oocyte- complexes (COCs) collected by aspiration from follicles of 2~7 mm in diameter were matured in Ham's F-10 medium supplemented with 0.01 $\mu\textrm{g}$/m1 epidermal growth factor (EGF) at 39$^{\circ}C$ in a humidified atmosphere of 5% $CO_2$in air. After 24 hrs of culture, the oocytes were co-cultured with epididymal sperm selected off by Percoll-density gradient in TALP medium for 24 hrs. The presumptive zygotes were cultured in HECM-6 medium for 3 d post-insemination, and followed by cultured in TCM199 medium until 7 to 10d post-insemination. The cultures were compared of their cleavage and development into later stage in culture medium by additions of different protein sources (PVA, BSA and BCS) and by different embryo density. The rates of cleavage and development rates into blastocyst were not significantly (P<0.05) different among the culture media containing with BSA (75.0% and 40.5%), BCS (76.7% and 38.0%) and PVA (72.5% and 42.2%), respectively. Significantly (P<0.05) higher blastocysts rates were obtained in culturing of 30 and 40 embryos in each 50$\mu$l droplets of culture medium than in 5, 10 and 20 embryos. These results indicate that the optimal density of embryos is 30~40 embryos in a 50$\mu$l droplet of culture medium. Furthermore there is no effect of different protein sources on early embryonic development.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.183-191
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• 2008

This study was conducted to investigate the development and gene expression in miniature pig nuclear transfer (mNT) embryos produced under different osmolarity culture conditions. Control group of mNT embryos was cultured in PZM-3 for 6 days. Treatment group of mNT embryos was cultured in modified PZM-3 with NaCl (mPZM-3, 320 mOsmol) for 2 days, and then cultured in PZM-3 (270 mOsmol) for 4 days. Blastocyst formation rate of the treatment group was significantly higher than the control and the apoptosis rate was significantly lower in treatment group. Bax-$\alpha$ and caspase-3 mRNA expression were significantly higher in the control than the treatment group. Also, the majority of imprinting genes were expressed aberrantly in in vitro produced mNT blastocysts compared to in vivo derived blastocyst H19 and Xist mRNA expression were significantly lower in the control than the treatment group or in vivo. IGF2 mRNA expression was significantly higher in the control than the treatment group or in vivo. IGF2r mRNA expression was significantly lower in the control. Methylation profiles of individual DNA strands in H19 upstream T-DMR sequences showed a similar methylation status between treatment group and in vivo. These results indicate that the modification of osmolarity in culture medium at early culture stage could provide more beneficial culture environments for mNT embryos.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.76-82
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• 1986

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of trophoblastic vesicles (TV) and estradiol-17$\beta$ on the development in vitro of rabbit embryos. Thirty matured female rabbits were treated with PMSG followed by HCG injection and mating. Embryos were recovered with D-PBS (Dulbecco's Phosphate Buffered Saline) after superovulation, and normally developed to two-to four-cell embryos were used in the subsequent in vitro culture. Basal medium was Medium-199 su, pp.emented with 1.5% bovine serum albumin. Embryo on Day 5 after mating (Day 0) was cut into two or three pieces to remove the embryonic disc. Each piece of tissue was cultured for 24 hours at 37$^{\circ}C$ in 0.5 mlMedium-199 in 5% CO2. During culture, peices of trophoblastic tissue changed into spherical vesicles which were used for co-culture. These spheres were called trophoblstic vesicles. Two-to four-cell embryos were cultured for 4 days in Medium-199 in the absence or presence of trophoblastic vesicle, and two-to four-cell embryos cultured with varing concentration (0, 0.1, 1, 10ng/ml) of estradiol-17$\beta$ for 4 dyas. Culture vessels used were watch glass for coculture with trophoblastic vesicles and micortube for estradiol-17$\beta$ infusion. Compared with the Medium-199 alone as basal culture medium, more blastocysts (46.7% vs 15.1%; P<0.01) and morulae (84.4% vs 56.6%; P<0.05) were developed in the co-culture with trophoblastic vesicles. Estradiol-17$\beta$ infused in culture medium was not effective for embryo development to blastocysts (78.3% in control, 50.0% in 0.1ng/ml, 61.5% in 1ng/ml and 64.4% in 10ng/ml) and also to morulae (91.3% in control, 84.2% in 0.1ng/ml, 92.3% in 1ng/ml and 91.1% in 10ng/ml). Compared with the watch glass culture mehotd, more (P<0.01) blastocysts were developed in microtube culture (78.3% vs 56.6%) and more (P<0.01) morulae in microtube culture (91.3% vs 56.6%).

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.127-131
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• 1987

This study was carried out to obtain the basic information on splitting and culture of mouse and bovine embryos. Two-, four-, eight-, cell and morula mouse embryos were digested with pronase, splitted in vitro by micro-glass needel with hand, and bovine embryos were splitted by micromanipulator. The splitted embryos were cultured under 5% of CO2 gas in air at 37$^{\circ}C$ for 48-72 hours. The results obtained in this study were summarized as follows: 1. The mouse and cattle were superovulated by 5IU of PMS and HCG, and 2500IU of PMS and 25mg of PGF2$\alpha$, respectively. The average number of embryos after superovulation were 32.5$\pm$8.2 and 7.5$\pm$3:1, respectively. 2. Out of total 122 embryos splitted, the successful splitting rate was 75.0%, 66.7%, 68.4% and 71.4% in 2-, 4-, 8- and morula embryos in mouse, respectively. There was no different splitting rate between mouse(71.4%) and bovine embryos(66.7%) in morula. 3. The successful culture rate of splitted embryos was 68.0% and 67.9% in mouse and bovine embryos, respectively.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.121-131
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• 1985

Mouse embryos of 8-cell stage and compacted morulae(approximately 16 cells) containing different number of blastomeres were bisected and cultured in vitro to determine the developmental potentials of the divided embryos compared with those of unmanipulated control embryos. The results were as follows. 1. Micromanipulation was performed successfully by means of a simple manipulator which holds a fine glass, needle, without the use of any micro-instruments for support. 2. The percentage of bisected morulae with 7-9 blastomeres that developed to eu-blastocyst was 94.1% while only 64.8% of the bisected 8-cell embryos with 4 blastomeres developed to eublastocysts (p<0.05). 3. The percentage of eu-blastocysts decreased, while that of pseudoblastocysts and trophectodermal vesicle increased as the number of blastomeres decreased in the bisected embryos of the two stages. 4. The time of the blastocoele re-formation of the bisected and control embryos was not significantly different in morulae stage embryos, but it was significantly delayed in the 8-cell stage embryos (Eu-B, Pseudo-B) compared with control embryos (P<0.01, P<0.05 respectively).

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.128-128
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• 2003

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.77-81
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• 1994

To improve in vitro embryonic cell development, this study was desigend to culture in vitro fertilized early embryos of mouse in two different systems; conditioned medium alone and ampullary cells co-culture. Thirty two of 83 embryos(38.6%) were blocked in the 2 cell stage by co-culture, as compared to forty of 42 embryos(95.2%) in control group for 24hours culture. And all the embryonic cells cultured for conditioned medium alone were blocked for 48 hours culture. Twenty seven of 46 embryos (58.7 %) which overcome culture block in 2 cell stage by cocultured were developed morular and expanded blastocyst, and ninteen of 46 embryos(26.1 %) underwent hatching for 96 hours culture. The cellular fragmented rates for embryo were 26.2% in medium alone; 10 fragmented blastomere were graded mild status and 1 fragmented blastomere in severe status. On the other hand, the fragmented rate for 48 hours co-cultured were 15.7%03/83); 8 fragmented embryos were graded mild status, moderate status in 3 fragmented embryos and severe in 2 fragmented embryos respectively. In conclusion, the co-culture of embryos with ampullary cells is good to improve quality of embryos and overcome of culture block as well as development of cell cleavage.