• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.919-928
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• 2011

The pig exhibits true epitheliochorial placentation, where the fetal membrane maintains attachment throughout pregnancy but does not invade into the maternal uterine endometrium. Accordingly, the expression and function of cell adhesion molecules are very important for embryo implantation and the establishment of pregnancy. In our recent microarray analysis, we found that activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) was expressed in the uterine endometrium during pregnancy in pigs. To better understand the roles of ALCAM in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy, we examined ALCAM expression in the uterine endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy in pigs. Real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that ALCAM was differentially expressed in the uterine endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy, with the highest levels on D12 of pregnancy. ALCAM mRNA was localized to the luminal and glandular epithelial cells and to the trophectoderm of conceptuses during early pregnancy. The steroid hormones estrogen and progesterone had no effect on ALCAM expression in an endometrial explant culture study. Further, we found that ALCAM expression in the uterine endometrium from gilts with somatic cell nuclear transfer-derived embryos was not different from that in gilts with embryos from natural mating. ALCAM was expressed in a pregnancy stage- and cell type-specific manner in the uterine endometrium and conceptuses during pregnancy. These findings suggest that ALCAM may play a role in the establishment of pregnancy. Further analysis of ALCAM will provide insight into the implantation process and establishment of pregnancy in pigs.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 1995

The embryos(6-8mm) isolated from seeds of Diospyros kaki were cultured on Murashlge-Skoog(MS), Woody Plant Medium(WPM), Campbell Durzen(CD), Lictvay's Medium(LM), Kao-Michaluk(KM), Nitsch, White, Heller, Wolter-Skoog(WS) media. The results showed that MS and WPM media were most suitable to the development of embryos into plantlets with length of $5.4{\pm}1.2 cm$ and 5-6 leaves. However, when LM and KM media were used, the addition of 1 to $2{\mu} moles/\ell GA_3$ was required for the germination of the embryos. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, one of the changing factors in leaves according to physiological status displayed to be exceptionally significant in the leaves of plantlets germinated from seeds in potting sand soil contrary to those of cultured embryos specially around germination period.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2000

A phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) is a upstream component of insulin signaling by which protein synthesis can be stimulated in many systems. To elucidate involvement of PI3K and its downstream mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in the insulin signaling in pleimplantation mouse embryos, 8-cell embryos were cultured to blastocysts in the presence or absence of insulin and／or inhibitor drugs. The number of blastomeres per blastocyst, protein synthesis, and protein phosphorylation were examined. There was significant difference in embryonic development to blastocyst stage and hatching was potentiated by the insulin supplementation. The increase in the mean celt numbers per blastocyst was apparent in the insulin culture. Wortmannin, a PI3K inhibitor and rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTOR abolished the stimulatory effect of insulin on morphological development mitosis and protein synthesis. In autoradiography, phosphoproteins pp22 and pp30 which undergo phosphorylation in response to insulin were identified. Taken together, it can be suggested that PI3K and mTOR engaged in insulin signaling in the mouse embryo 8-cell onward and mediate embryotropic offset of insulin.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.317-323
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• 1993

This study was carried out to study effects of the addition level of acetamide and non-permeable cryoprotectants(Ficoll, sucrose) in VS(20% glycerol＋10% ethyleneglycol) and equilibration time on the survival of vitrified mouse morulae. The results are summarized as follows: 1. When 10, 15 and 20% of acetamide were added to the new vitrification solution(20G 10E), FDA-scores of embryos were 4.4(control), 4.4(10%), 3.6(15, 20%), respectively. The addition of acetamide did not affect the survival of forzen-thawed morulae(P<0.05). 2. The survival rate betwen 5 min(3.5) and 10 min(4.6), 10 min(4.6) and 20 min(3.2) of equilibration in 10% sucrose, and 20 min(3.2) and 5 min(4.0), or 10 min(4.3) in 20% sucrose were significantly different(P<0.05). The highest survival(4.6) rate was obtained in mouse morulae equilibrated in VS(20G 10E) containing 10% sucrose for 10 minutes. 3. FDA-score of morulae frozen in the new vitrification solution containing 0, 10, 20 and 30% Ficoll was 4.5, 4.2, 4.4 and 4.6, respectively and had no significant effect among concentrations of Ficoll(P>0.05). The development rate after culture(24h) was 89%(20% Ficoll) and 93%(30% Ficoll), respectively.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.73-78
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• 2000

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are pluripotent cell lines, which derived from preimplantation embryo. These cells have been used as a vehicle of foreign DNA for production of transgenic mammals. this experiment was performed to examined the possible use of blastodermal cells derived from hen's egg for germline manipulation. Stage X blsdtodermal cells isolated from fertilized eggs were cultured in DMEM containing 15% fetal calf serum. Blastodermal cells wre co-cultured on the chicken embryonic fibroblast (CEF) or mouse embryonic fibroblast(MEF) cells. to examine the effects of growth factors on stem cell growth, bFGF and LIF were added. There was no significant difference in colony formation of putative ES cells between CEF and MEF as a feederlayer, but the addition of growth factors enhanced the proliferation and inhibited differentiation of blastodermal cells. To characterize the cell colonies as a putative ES cells, putative embryonic cell colonies were stained by periodic acid Schiffs (PAS) reagent. The putative ES cell colonies showed intensive positive reaction similar to the property of undifferentiated PGC upto 20days in vitro, but not in other cell types. this result demonstrates that PAS-positive cell colonies may be used for the study of establishment of chicken ES cell lines for the production of transgenic chicken.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.76-76
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• 2003

Pluripotent embryonic stem cells can differentiate into beating cardiomyocytes with proper culture conditions and stimulants via embryo-like aggregates. We describe here the use of mouse embryonic stem (mES03) cells as a reproducible differentiation system for cardiomyocyte. mES03 cells growing in colonies were dissociated and allowed to re-aggregated in suspension [embryoid body (EB) formation〕. To induce cardiomyocytic differentiation, cells were exposed to 0.75% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) during EB formation for 4 days and then another 4 days without DMSO (4+/4-). Thus treated EB was plated onto gelatin-coated dishes for differentiation. Spontaneously contracting colonies which appeared in approximately 4~5 days upon differentiation were mechanically dissected, enzymatically dispersed, plated onto coverslips, and then incubated for another 48~72 hrs. By RT-PCR, robust expression of cardiac myosin heavy chain $\alpha$, cardiac muscle heavy polypeptide 7 $\beta$($\beta$-MHC), cardiac transcription factor GATA4, and skeletal muscle-specific $\alpha$$_1$-subunit of the L-type calcium channel ($\alpha$$_1$CaC $h_{sm}$ ) were detected as early as 8 days after EB formation, but message of cardiac muscle-specific $\alpha$$_1$-subunit of the L-type calcium channel ($\alpha$$_1$CaCh) were reveled at a low level. In contrast, expression of myosin light chain (MLC-2V) and atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) were not detected during EB formation for 8 days. However, a strong expression of the atrial-specific ANF gene was expressed from day 8 onward, which were remained constant in EB. (cardiac specialization and terminal differentiation stage). Electrophysiological examination of spontaneously contracting cells showed ventricle-like action potential 17 days after the EB formation. This study indicates that mES03 cell-derived cardiomyocytes via 4+/4- protocol displayed biochemical and electrophysiological properties of subpopulation of cardiomyocytes.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.117-120
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• 2005

This study was conducted to establish the optimal temperature condition before oocyte activation in B6m F1 mouse. In experiment 1, two embryo culture media (CZB vs KSOM) were evaluated for the development of activated mouse oocytes. Parthenogenetic embryos cultured in KSOM showed better blastocyst development than ones cultured in CZB $(56.2\%\;vs\;81.0\%\;p<0.01)$. Two-hour of pre-incubation before activation significantly reduced the number of hatched blastocysts in KSOM $(22.0\%\;versus\;8.8\%\;p<0.05)$. In experiment 2, recovered oocytes were pre-incubated at different temperature conditions before activation. The experimental groups were divided by 5 as follows. Group A: pre-incubation for 120 min at $37^{\circ}C$, Group B: pre-incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ for 90 min then at $25^{\circ}C$ for 30 min, Group C: pre-incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ for 60 min then at $25^{\circ}C$for 60 min, Group D: pre-incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ for 30 min then at $25^{\circ}C$ for 90 min, and Group E: pre-incubation at $25^{\circ}C$ for 120 min before activation. Group A $(67.6\%)$ and B $(66.7\%)$ showed better development to the blastocyst stage than other groups $(Group\;C:\;50.0\%\;Group \;D:\;49.2\%\;Group\;E:\;33.3\%,\;p<0.05)$. The present study indicates that the temperature before activation affects the development of B6D2 F1 mouse parthenogenetic oocytes and exposure to room temperature should be limited to 30-min when the oocytes are left in HEPES-buffered medium for micromanipulation.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.171-177
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• 1996

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of antioxidants and amino acid with buffalo rat liver cell(BRLC), bovine oviductal epithelial cell(BOEC) and STOC monolayers in supporting the development of in vitro matured(IVM) and in vitro fertilized(IVF) bovine oocytes. Bovine embryos developed to the 2~8 cell stage after in vitro fertilization were cultured for 5 to 6 days at 39$^{\circ}C$ in CR1aa containing antioxidants and amino acids with various somatic cells. Embryo development was examined and cell numbers of blastocysts were counted by fluorescence staining method. In experiment 1, the proportion of embryos that reached the blastocyst stage in control, catalase(250U), SOD(600U), glutathione(100$\mu$M) and taurine(2.5mM) with BRLC were 11.4, 8, 0, 16.7 and 43.4 respectively. Taurine(2.5mM) with BRLC group was significantly the highest among treatments(P<0.05). In experiment 2, in vitro development rate into blastocyst in control, catalase(250U), SOD(600U), glutathione(100$\mu$M) and taurine(2.5mM) with BOEC were 15.8, 23.5, 22.8, 28.6 and 56.9 respectively. In experiment 3, embryonic development in all treatments as control, catalase(250U), SOD(600U), glutathione(100$\mu$M) and taurine(2.5mM) added to CR1aa with STO cells were 23.5, 24.5, 17.0, 28.8 and 50.0 blastocysts. These results show that antioxidants and amino acids with somatic cells can provide a significant benefit for coculture of early bovine embryos derived from IVM and IVF.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.77-84
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• 1996

The purpose of this study was to evaluate effects of osmolarity and vitamins on the in vitro development of embryos. Bovine embryo that had been matured and fertilized in vitro were cultured in simple, chemically defined, protein free medium (mTLP-PVA). When the osmolarity of the medium supplemented 0.35 mM phos-phate and 19 amino acid was changed by NaCI concentration, significantly(p<0.05) higher pro-portion of 1-cell embryos in the medium of 265 or 290 mOsm developed to the morula (32 ~ 35%) and blastocyst(24 ~ 28%) stage. When embryos were transferred to fresh medium containing 5.56mM glucose at 120hrs post-insemination, the highest proportion of embryos developed to mor-ula(40%) and blastocyst(32%) stages at 290 mOsm(p<0.05), although the value in morulae was not significantly different with that(35%) at 315 mOsm. Vitamins in presence of glutamine and amino acids had no beneficial effects on the development of 1-cell embryos to the blastocyst.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 2016

This study was carried out to determine the optimal water temperature for the embryonic development and laboratory culture of larvae of an intertidal mud snail, Nassarius festivus. The embryos and hatched veliger larvae of N. festivus were incubated at six different temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and $30^{\circ}C$). Developmental time for each stage decreased as water temperature increased. The elapsed time to develop to the veliger larva at 15, 20, 25 and $30^{\circ}C$ was 559, 155, 131 and 103 hrs, respectively. At 5 and $10^{\circ}C$, embryo developed to veliger larvae but failed to hatch out of the egg capsule. In contrast, all embryos successfully hatched in the temperature range from 15 to $30^{\circ}C$. The biological minimum temperature during the embryonic development of N. festivus was estimated to be $9.5{\pm}0.4^{\circ}C$. The cumulative water temperatures for blastula, gastrula and veliger stages were calculated as $111{\pm}84$, $486{\pm}185$, $1,164{\pm}72^{\circ}C$, respectively. Temperature also affected the larval survival. Five days after hatching, more than 84% of larvae survived at all experimental temperatures. However, survival began to decrease after 6 days. It was 0% at $30^{\circ}C$. Survival of larvae incubated for 8 days was higher at 15 and $20^{\circ}C$ than other experimental temperatures. We therefore suggest that the optimal range of temperature for embryonic development and larval survival of N. festivus is $15-20^{\circ}C$.