• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.219-225
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• 2001

To establish rabbit Embryonic Stem (ES) cells, rabbit one-cell embryos were collected and cultured in vitro to blastocysts. Blastocysts were co-cultured with mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF), rabbit embryonic fibroblasts (REF) or 570 cells expressing LIF (SNL). Although rabbit ES cells were isolated with low efficiencies, total 8 ES cell lines were kept in vitro with normal colony shape. The MEF was the best feeder for rabbit ES cell isolation in regard to growth rate and undifferentiated morphology. The doubling time of rabbit ES cells in MEF was about 84 hours and the undifferentiated morphology was maintained following passing and freezing processes. These rabbit ES cells were differentiated into embryoid body following the culture in the uncoated dishes, indicating that they were undifferentiated stem cells.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.235-245
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• 2009

Embryonic stem (ES) cells have a capability to generate all types of cells. However, the mechanism by which ES cells differentiate into specific cell is still unclear. Using microarray technology, the differentiation process in mouse embryonic stem cells was characterized by temporal gene expression changes of mouse ES cells during differentiation in a monolayer culture. A large number of genes were differentially regulated from 1 day to 14 days, and less number of genes were differentially expressed from 14 days to 28 days. The number of up-regulated genes was linearly increased throughout the 28 days of in vitro differentiation, while the number of down-regulated genes reached the plateau from 14 days to 28 days. Most differentially expressed genes were functionally classified into transcriptional regulation, development, extra cellular matrix (ECM),cytoskeleton organization, cytokines, receptors, RNA processing, DNA replication, chromatin assembly, proliferation and apoptosis related genes. While genes encoding ECM proteins were up-regulated, most of the genes related to proliferation, chromatin assembly, DNA replication, RNA processing, and cytoskeleton organization were down-regulated at 14 days. Genes known to be associated with embryo development or transcriptional regulation were differentially expressed mostly after 14 days of differentiation. These results indicate that the altered expression of ECM genes constitute an early event during the spontaneous differentiation, followed by the inhibition of proliferation and lineage specification. Our study might identify useful time-points for applying selective treatments for directed differentiation of mouse ES cells.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.9
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• pp.29-36
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• 1991

The study was carried out to investigate the viability and the offspring production rate of single blastomeres and biopsied 4-cell mouse embryos and, also to examine the efficiency of biopsy. The results obtained are summerised as follows: 1. The separated blastomeres from 4-cell embryos and intact 4-cell embryos which were cultured in Medium 2 were developed to trophoblastic vesicle and blastocyst embryo by 82.6% and 89.5%. respectively. 2. The biopsied embryos from 4-cell embryos and intact 4-cell embryos which were cultured in Medium 2 were developed to blastocyst embryo by 83.3% and 90.4%, respectively. 3. The biospied blastomeres and the separated blastomeres from 4-cell embryos which were cultured in Medium 2 were developed to trophoblastic vesicle by 80.8% and 83.3%, respectively. 4. The biopsied embryos from 4-cell embryos and intact 4-cell embryos were transferred to recipients, and the offspring rate was 36% and 48.6%, respectively.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.83-89
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• 1981

Japanese encephalitis has been prevalent for long time in the Far East and many patients have been reported in both South East and Mid-West Asia recently. Recently, vaccine was used in prevention of this viral disease of man which was derived from formalin inactivated virus inoculated into mouse brain, but live attenuated active vaccine for human is not developed yet. Author inoculated Japanese encephalitis virus into several cell culture strains for development of live attenuated encephalitis virus strain and the results were as follows: 1. Japanese encephalitis virus was inactivated rapidly in cell free medium at $36^{\circ}C$ and totally inactivated by 72 hours. 2. In growth curve of Japanese encephalitis virus in HeLa cell cultures, maximal multiplication of the virus was occured at 4th day and virus multiplication was continued for at least 12 days. 3. After succeeding passage of the virus in HeLa cell cultures and human esophagus epithelial cell cultures, infectivity of virus for mice was disappeared from 2nd passage in HeLa cell cultures and 3rd passage in esophagus epithelial cell cultures. 4. In inoculation to monkey kidney epithelial cells and chick embryo cell cultures, infectivity of the virus for mice was continued after 10th passages.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.118-118
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• 2003

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of glucose on embryonic development of mouse embryos. Two cell embryos were recovered from ICR female mice(3-4weeks) at 46~50 hrs after hCG 5 IU injection (mated just after hCG injection) and cultured in 50 $\mu m$ DMEM droplets supplemented with nothing (control: n=46), glucose 0.5mM (Group A; n=46) or glucose 3.15 mM(Group B; n=46) under mineral oil. All experimental media were supplemented with 20% human follicular fluid. Total blastocyst formation rates was lower (NS) in glucose groups (group A: 52.2% : B. 47.8%) than control group (60.9%). ZiB rates was the highest (P<0.05) in control (47.8%) than those in group A (21.7%) and B (28.3%). ZeB rates were the highest (NS) in group A (30.4%) than those in control (13.0%) and group B (19.6%). Blastocysts, cultured in group B (50.5), had the highest (NS) mean cell number compared with the others (control: 39.2 ; group A: (45.6). The ICM proportion (% ICM of total cells) in blastocysts cultured in group A (20.6%) was the highest (NS) than those of other tested groups (control: 15.2 ; group B: 13.9%). This study shows that a low dose of glucose added to culture medium increases the ICM proportion of blastocysts in mice.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.93-98
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• 2009

In this study, bovine Dnmt1 cDNA was sequenced and detected Dnmt1 mRNA level in bovine tissues by northern blot, methylation pattern of genome by southern blot, specific localization of Dnmt1 in mouse and bovine preimplantation embryos by immunocytostaining and Dnmt1 protein level in ovary and testis by western blot. Bovine Dnmt1 cDNA sequence showed more homology with that of human than mouse and rat. The RNA level of Dnmt1 was 10 times higher expression in placenta than other tissues. This indicates that placenta was hypermethylated compared to others organs. The genomic DNA could not be cut by a specific restriction enzyme (HpaII) in placenta, lung and liver of bovine. It suggests that Dnmt1 in some somatic cells was already methylated. Dnmt1, which has the antibody epitope 1316~1616, was distributed in nucleus and cytoplasm including the stage of pronuclear stage and maturation of oocyte and gradually weaken to blastocyst stage compare to negative. In addition, Dnmt1 was strongly expressed in tetraploid embryo and cloned 8-cell than IVF 8-cell. An aberrant pattern of DNA methylation in cloned embryo may be abnormal development of fetus, embryonic lethality and placenta dysfunction. The somatic specific band (190kDa) was appeared in ovary and testis, but oocyte specific band (175kDa) was not. Further investigations are necessary to understand the complex links between the methyltransferases and the transcriptional activity of genes in the cloned bovine tissues.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.79-89
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• 2001

Steroid hormones control the expression of many cellular regulators, and a role thor estrogen in mouse oocytes has been well documented. The preovulatory $E_2$increment is generally accepted as the endocrine process regulating induction of in vivo oocyte maturation To address whether the activity of the T-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel is altered by 17 beta-estradiol ( $E_2$), we examined the actions of $E_2$on the calcium channel of mouse oocytes and early embryos. Oocrtes were collected from the oviduct of mice treated with pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and human choronic gonadotropin (hCG). Whole cell voltage clamp technique and confocal microscopy were used to examine that $E_2$increase intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration ([C $a^{2+}$]$_{i}$ ) via voltage dependent $Ca^{2+}$ channel (VDC) and estrogen receptor (FSR), and $E_2$concentration by the use of radioimmunoassay (RIA) were examined in mouse. The results obtained were as follows: The peak of $Ca^{2+}$ current induced by $E_2$increased 122% to 1.50$\pm$0.03 nA from 1.23$\pm$0.21 nA (n=15) in the presence of 5 mM extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration ([C $a^{2+}$]$_{o}$ ). The increased $Ca^{2+}$ current was temporally associated with $Ca^{2+}$ transients. The intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ level increased 207%~30 s following the addition of 1${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ $E_2$(relative fluorescence intensity: 836.4$\pm$131.2 for control, n=10, 1736.4$\pm$192.0 in the presence of $E_2$, n=10). $E_2$increased amplitude of $Ca^{2+}$ current and [C $a^{2+}$]$_{i}$ . $E_2$-induced $Ca^{2+}$ current and $E_2$concentration in blood were showed difference on the stage of embryo. These results suggest that $E_2$modulate $Ca^{2+}$ channel to increase $Ca^{2+}$ influx.$Ca^{2+}$ influx.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.209-212
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• 1994

Mophological normal of unfertilized oocytes, which was collected 12-14 hours after human Chorionic Gonadotropin(jCG) injection, was not influenced by chronically adiministration of cocaine for 2 weeks in mice. Proportion of normal unfertilized oocytes in non-cocaine treated group (control), `0 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg cocaine treated group based on body weight with subcutaneous(s.c.) daily injection of cocaine for 2 weeks were 92.9%, 85.6% and 90.9%, respectively. There is no significant difference between control and cocaine treated groups. Two to 8 cell stage embryos collected 24-48 hours post hCG in control group were 66.7%, whereas, 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg groups treated with cocaine was 12.5% and 27.3% respectively. Although control and treated groups are significantly different (p<0.05) the developmental score of 2 to 8 cell stage embryos collected at 24-48 hours post HCG, there is no difference between 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg treated with cocaine groups. These results indicated that the normal embryos of the roups of cocaine administration were significantly amested when compared with that of control group. The proportion of 2 to 8 cell stage embryo reaching the blastocyst stage, which were cultured 48-52 hours with 5% $Co_2$ in air at $37^{\circ}C$, were 93.9% in control group and, 70.4% and 71.9% in each 10 mg/kg and to blastocyst in vitro culture was significantly limited embryos obtained from cocanized mice compared with those of control mice. These results suggest that episode of cocaine intoxication can cause impaiment of early embrygenesis in the mouse.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2011

Change in intracellular $Ca^{2+}$-concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) is an essential event for egg activation and further development. $Ca^{2+}$ ion is originated from intracellular $Ca^{2+}$-store via inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor and/or $Ca^{2+}$ influx via $Ca^{2+}$ channel. This study was performed to investigate whether changes in $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaM KII) activity affect $Ca^{2+}$ influx during artificial egg activation with ethanol using $Ca^{2+}$ monitoring system and whole-cell patch clamp technique. Under $Ca^{2+}$ ion-omitted condition, $Ca^{2+}$-oscillation was stopped within 30 min post microinjection of porcine sperm factor, and ethanol-induced $Ca^{2+}$ increase was reduced. To investigate the role of CaM KII known as an integrator of $Ca^{2+}$- oscillation during mammalian egg fertilization, CaM KII activity was tested with a specific inhibitor KN-93. In the eggs treated with KN-93, ethanol failed to induce egg activation. In addition, KN-93 inhibited inward $Ca^{2+}$ current ($I_{Ca}$) in a time-dependent manner in whole-cell configuration. Immunostaining data showed that the voltage-dependent $Ca^{2+}$ channels were distributed along the plasma membrane of mouse egg and 2-cell embryo. From these results, we suggest that $Ca^{2+}$ influx during fertilization might be controlled by CaM KII activity.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.523-527
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• 1991

The effects of ethylene glycol, DMSO and glycerol as cryoprotectants and the effect of concentrations(0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0M) of sucrose in the diluent on the viability of the aggregated morulae frozen rapidly in liquid nitrogen$(LN_2)$ vapour were examined. The morulae were produced by aggregation of ICR and CBA mice embryos at 8-cell stage. Before freezing the embryos were equilibrated in 1.5M cryoprotectants+0.25M sucrose in oae-step or in 3.0M cryoprotectants+0.25M sucrose in two-steps. The embryos were pipetted into the freezing medium fraction of 0.25ml plastic straws. The straws were frozeu by directly transfer into $LN_2$ vapour(about lcm above $LN_2$) for 2 minutes, and then plunged into $LN_2$. After thawing the cryoprotectants were diluted with 0, 0.25, 0.5 or 1.0M sucrose solution. The post-thawed in vitro viability of the aggregated embryos was significantly dependent on the type and concentration of cryoprotectants in the freezing medium and also on the concentration of sucrose in the diluent. When the aggregated embryos were equilibrated in 1.5M cryoprotectants +0.25M sucrose in one-step and diluted with 0.5M sucrose after thawing, the survival rate of the embryo5 was significantly(p<0.05) higher in DMSO(62.5%) or ethylene glycol(52.2%) than in glycerol(33.3 %). In the case that the concentration of the cryoprotectants was raised to 3.0M in two-steps, thc higher survival rate of the embryos was obtained in ethylene glycol or glycerol than in DMSO followed by diluting them with 0.5 or 1.0M sucrose after thawing(p<0.01).