• Molecules and Cells
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2007

One of the goals of stem cell technology is to control the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), thereby generating large numbers of specific cell types for many applications including cell replacement therapy. Although individual hESC lines resemble each other in expressing pluripotency markers and telomerase activity, it is not clear whether they are equivalent in their developmental potential in vitro. We compared the developmental competence of three hESC lines (HSF6, Miz-hES4, and Miz-hES6). All three generated the three embryonic germ layers, extraembryonic tissues, and primordial germ cells during embryoid body (EB) formation. However, HSF6 and Miz-hES6 readily formed neuroectoderm, whereas Miz-hES4 differentiated preferentially into mesoderm and endoderm. Upon terminal differentiation, HSF6 and Miz-hES6 produced mainly neuronal cells whereas Miz-hES4 mainly formed mesendodermal derivatives, including endothelial cells, leukocyte progenitors, hepatocytes, and pancreatic cells. Our observations suggest that independently-derived hESCs may differ in their developmental potential.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.427-434
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• 2013

This study was conducted to establish methods for preserving chicken primordial germ cells (PGCs) for long-term storage in liquid nitrogen and for developmental engineering or preservation of species. The purpose of this study is to clarify the effects of fetal bovine serum (FBS) or chicken serum (CS) treatment on the viability of cryopreserved PGCs from Korean Native Chicken (Ogye). PGCs separated from a germinal gonad of an early embryo at day 5.5-6 (stage 28) were suspended in a freezing medium containing freezing and protective agents (dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), ethylene glycol (EG) and glycerol). The values from 0, 5, 10, and 15 % DMSO plus FBS treatment were 21.6, 30.36, 36.42, 50.39, and 48.36 %, respectively. The viability of PGCs after freeze-thawing was significantly higher for 10% EG plus FBS treatment than for 10% EG + FCS treatment (p<0.05) (64.36% vs. 50.66%). This study establishes a method for preserving chicken PGC that enables systematic storage and labeling of cryopreserved PGC in liquid nitrogen at a germplasm repository and an ease of entry into a database. In the future, the importance for this new technology is that poultry lines can be conserved while work is being conducted to improve the production of germline chimeras.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.471-480
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• 2024

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the regulation relationship of Ten-eleven translocation 1 (Tet1) in DNA demethylation and the proliferation of primordial germ cells (PGCs) in chickens. Methods: siRNA targeting Tet1 was used to transiently knockdown the expression of Tet1 in chicken PGCs, and the genomic DNA methylation status was measured. The proliferation of chicken PGCs was detected by flow cytometry analysis and cell counting kit-8 assay when activation or inhibition of Wnt4/β-catenin signaling pathway. And the level of DNA methylation and hisotne methylation was also tested. Results: Results revealed that knockdown of Tet1 inhibited the proliferation of chicken PGCs and downregulated the mRNA expression of Cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6), as well as pluripotency-associated genes (Nanog, PouV, and Sox2). Flow cytometry analysis confirmed that the population of PGCs in Tet1 knockdown group displayed a significant decrease in the proportion of S and G2 phase cells, which meant that there were less PGCs entered the mitosis process than that of control. Furthermore, Tet1 knockdown delayed the entrance to G1/S phase and this inhibition was rescued by treated with BIO. Consistent with these findings, Wnt/β-catenin signaling was inactivated in Tet1 knockdown PGCs, leading to aberrant proliferation. Further analysis showed that the methylation of the whole genome increased significantly after Tet1 downregulation, while hydroxyl-methylation obviously declined. Meanwhile, the level of H3K27me3 was upregulated and H3K9me2 was downregulated in Tet1 knockdown PGCs, which was achieved by regulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Conclusion: These results suggested that the self-renewal of chicken PGCs and the maintenance of their characteristics were regulated by Tet1 mediating DNA demethylation through the activation of Wnt4/β-catenin signaling pathway.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Poultry Science Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.9-10
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• 2004

We developed a new panel of markers for the characterization of chicken PGCs. The results of immunostaining demonstrated that anti-SSEA-3, anti-SSEA-4, anti-integrin 6, and anti-integrin 1 antibodies. and STA and DBA bound specifically to chicken PGCs. These reagents could be used to characterize chicken PGCs together with conventional marker reagents such as PAS and anti-SSEA-1 antibody. We also showed that double staining of PGCs with the newly developed markers was feasible, which might contribute to rapid detection and accurate characterization of chicken PGCs.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.255-260
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• 1994

원시생식세포(primordial germ cell; PGC)는 성성숙 이후에 기능을 갖는 생식세포의 근원이 되는 세포로서, 다능성을 갖고 있는 것으로 알려져 있다. 그러므로 chimera 및 유전자 변환동물 생산을 위해 널리 사용되어 온 배아주(embrynic stem; ES)세포를 대신할 다른 세포계라고 생각되어져 많은 연구가 진행되고 있다. 본 실험은 체외배양을 통하여 원시생식세포의 증식과 확립을 위해 배양조건을 구명하고, 또한 성장인자의 효과를 검증하기 위하여 실시되었다. 원시생식세포는 12.5일째의 ICR 생쥐태아의 원시생식선 융기조직으로부터 추출하였으며, DMEM + 20% FCS + nucleosides + antibiotics로 조성된 sDMEM 배양액을 사용하여 mitomycin C로 전처리한 되먹임세포단층(feeder layer)위에서 체외배양하였다. bFGF 및 LIF를 20, 40ng/ml농도로 각각 또는 함께 첨가하여 성장인자의 효과를 검토하였다. 원시생식세포는 성에 따라 유의적인 colony 형성율을 보였고(♂:1.9 colonies / genital ridge, ♀:1.3 colonies / genital ridge), bFGF 및 LIF의 첨가 및 첨가농도에 따라서도 유의성 있는 결과를 보였다(0.3~1.9 colonies / genital riege). 그러나 3회 이상 계대배양을 할 경우, 원시생식세포의 colony를 4% prarformaldehyde로 20분간 고정한 후, tris-maleate buffer(pH 9.0)로 10분간 3회 세정하였다. Fast Red로 염색을 실시한 결과, 대부분의 colony가 염색반응을 보여 다능성을 갖는 원시생식세포의 colony임이 입증되었다. 그러나 대부분의 colony가 3회 이상의 계대배양시 생종율이 급격히 떨어지는 것을 감안하면, 또 다른 미지의 성장인자나 보다 적절한 배양조건이 요구된다고 생각된다.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.119-129
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• 1999

In recent years, numerous researches have been carried out in author's laboratory to develop several kinds of methods for producing transgened chicken, leaving a lot of new findings. Some of them are very useful to search for new approaches necessary to improve the efficiency of hatchability and the survival rate of developing trasgened embryos. The results obtained hitherto might be summarized as follows: (1) foreign gene(Lac Z/ Miw Z) introduced into blastodermal cells of developing embryos was successfully transferred to embryos, leading to the production of primordial germ cells(PGCs) carrying foreign DNA. However, hatched hickens failed to show the incorporation of introduced gene into the gonads. (2) When foreign gene was introduced into germinal crescent region (GCR), the gene was also efficiently incorporated into germ cells, resulting in the production of transgened chickens(offspring) which produced fruther offspring having foreign gene in the gonads. In this case, 2nd and 3rd generations of chickens were obtained through the reproduction of transgened birds. (3) In another way, the gene was injected into blood vessels of developing embryos at stage 13∼15, creating PGCs having foreign gene, and produced some transgened chickens. In this work, the PGCs were transfered between embryos, resulting in the production of transgenic chickens. (4) in these experiments, PGCs were effectively employed for producing transgenic birds, developing some kinds of chimeric chickens from homo- or hetero-sexual transfer of the PGCs from embryos. This means that the gonads from donor PGCs developed in some degree to the stage of hatching. However, these gonads showed slightly abnormal tissues similar to ovotestis like organs through histological examination. (5) Avian Leukosis Virus(ALV) induced B cell line(DT40) successfully carried foreign genes into chicken embryos, suggesting the possibility of the cells as a vector in this field of study in the future. (6) Inter-embryonic transfer of the PGCs also gave us some.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.1026-1034
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• 2000

As described here, most recently developed methods for improving reproduction performance of domesticated animals such as cattle, swine and chicken have been considered to be also usable for restoring some sorts of endangered and/or extinct wild animals in the very near future. Especially, the techniques for in vitro storage of gametes obtained from dead animals shortly after the death, probably 24 h following the sacrifice are also available for obtaining some of experimental specimens. In case of the endangered animals, nobody will be allowed to use any tissues from the living animals, therefore, e.g., the use of skin tissues from these bodies is another possibility of restoring the living animals. Regarding the use of skin tissues, the most highly usable tools must be the cloning techniques for reviving rare cells from the living body. Most possible techniques for cloning cells is nuclear transfer from rare species to highly relative species, and this is the case of germ cells, e.g., primordial germ cells (PGCs) of avian species. One of the possibilities is the nuclear transfer of Crested Ibis (Nipponia nippon) to the PGCs of chicken, resulting in the PGCs with transferred nucleus from the ibis. In mammalian species, the same procedure as in the case of birds would be successful, e.g., the removed nucleus from Giant Pandas will be transferred to the cell, such as somatic cells or germ cells from black bears or lesser pandas, leading to the production of transnucleared cells in the body of female black bears. These two cases are most promising techniques for reviving endangered animals in the world, particularly in Asian countries, mainly in China. As a conclusion, possible production of cloned animals carrying transnucleared cells from endangered animals, such as Giant Pandas and Crested Ibis, may be reproduced gradually in the near future. Scientists are, therefore, required to convert the paradigm from domestic animals to wild animals, including endangered and/or extinct animals on the earth.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.44-50
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• 1996

Sex differentiation in the rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli, was studied by using a histological method for the appearance of primordial germ cell, formation of primitive gonad and differentiation of female and male. The primordial germ cells were buried under fibrous mesenchymal tissue between gut and mesonephric duct of pre-larva with a total length (TL) of 6.3 mm at 2 days after parturition. In juvenile of TL $5.2\~5.9cm$ at 65 days after parturition, the gonad composed of a large number of genial cell and formed of cavity along the lateral side of the gonad, differentiated to the ovary. At this time, the gonad formed seminiferous tubules by somatic cells, differentiated to the testis. In juvenile of TL $7.0\~7.2cm$ cm at 115 days after parturition, gonads divided into testis contained pigment cell and ovary absent pigment cell. S. schlegeli differentiated directly into male or female without an intermediate female phase at early indifferentiated stage. Therefore, S. schlegeli belongs to the differentiated type of gonochoristic teleosts. At 350 days after parturition, sex ratio was approximately 1 : 1(p>0.05).

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.173-183
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• 2021

The incidence of infertility among individuals of reproductive age has been growing due to genetic and environmental factors, and considerable research efforts are focused on solving this issue. Ovarian development is an overly complex process in the body, involving the interaction between primordial germ cells and gonad somatic cells. However, follicles located in the center of the in vitro ovary are poorly formed owing to ovarian complexity, nutrient deficiency, and signaling deficiency. In the present study, we optimized methods for dissociating gonads and culture conditions for the in vitro generation of miniaturized ovaries. The gonads from embryos were dissociated into cell masses and cultured on a Transwell-COL membrane for 3-5 weeks. Approximately 12 follicles were present per in vitro ovary. We observed that miniaturized ovaries successfully matured to MII oocytes in vitro from 150 to 100 ㎛ gonad masses. This method will be useful for investigating follicle development and oocyte production.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.51-51
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• 2003

Oct-4 is a maternally expressed octamer-binding protein encoded by the murine Oct-4 gene. It is present in unfertilized oocytes, but also in the inner cell mass and in primordial germ cells. In addition, Oct-4 is the first transcrition factor described that is specific for the blastocysts stage bovine embryos. The spatial and temporal expression patterns were further determined using Immunohistochemistry. With this technique Oct-4 protein expression is detected in the oocyte, in the blastocyst. After pregnancy Oct-4 expression is restricted ovary and placental tissue. Therefore Oct-4 is a transcription factor that is specifically expressed in cells participating in the pregnancy of Korean native cattle. These result suggest that Oct-4 localization and expression may contribute to the defects in the developmental normal seen in Korean native cattle.