• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.121-129
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• 2022

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 (hnRNPA2/B1) is an N6-methyladenosine (m⁶A) RNA modification regulator and a key determinant of prem-RNA processing, mRNA metabolism and transportation in cells. Currently, m⁶A reader proteins such as hnRNPA2/B1 and YTHDF2 has functional roles in mice embryo. However, the role of hnRNPA2/B1 in porcine embryogenic development are unclear. Here, we investigated the developmental competence and mRNA expression levels in porcine parthenogenetic embryos after hnRNPA2/B1 knock-down. HhnRNPA2/B1 was localized in the nucleus during subsequent embryonic development since zygote stage. After hnRNPA2/B1 knock-down using double stranded RNA injection, blastocyst formation rate decreased than that in the control group. Moreover, hnRNPA2/B1 knock-down embryos show developmental delay after compaction. In blastocyste stage, total cell number was decreased. Interestingly, gene expression patterns revealed that transcription of Pou5f1, Sox2, TRFP2C, Cdx2 and PARD6B decreased without changing the junction protein, ZO1, OCLN, and CDH1. Thus, hnRNPA2/B1 is necessary for porcine early embryo development by regulating gene expression through epigenetic RNA modification.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2007

During early embryo development, Oct-4 is an important transcription factor for the early differentiation the present study was first examined methylation status in distal enhancer and promoter region of Oct-4 during mouse pre-implantation embryo development. In oocyte and sperm, high methylation was observed in both distal and proximal of promoter in Oct-4. Following fertilization relatively high methylation level remained until 8-cell stage embryos, but decreased at the morula and blastocyst stage. Specific gene knock down of Oct-4 by siRNA injection into zygote induced higher methylation rates of both distal and proximal region of promoter of Oct-4. These results suggest a functional link between the DNA methylation status of distal and promoter resign in the Oct-4 gene and the gene sequence-specific transcriptional silencing by exogenous siRNA injection during mouse preimplantation embryos.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.231-231
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• 2004

Successful embryonic development is dependant on temporal and stage-specific expression of appropriate genes. However, information on specific gene expression during early cleavage before zygotic gene activation (ZGA) is lacking. In the present study, we compared gene expression between porcine parthenotes 2-cell and blastocyst embryos to identify the genes that are specifically or prominently expressed by employing annealing control primers (ACP)-based Gene Fishing RCR. (omitted)

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.263-272
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• 1980

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to investigate the patterns of LDH and MDH isozymes in the embryo and adult of amphibia; Rana nigromaculata, Rana plancyi chosenica and Hynobius leechii. Rana nigromaculata is considered to be heterozygous for the gene specifying the "B" subunit of LDH, and Hynobius leechii to be heterozygous for the gene specifying the "A" subunit of LDH. The LDH isozyme paatern of embryos of the above three species is characterized by a gradual increase in the activity of LDH-5 (muscular form)during development. Two or three molecular forms of MDH is present steadily from early embryos and in adult. Of the MDH isozymes, the more cathodic one (MDH-m) appears weakly in early developing stages, but increases slowly in the activity as the embryo develops.the embryo develops.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.297-307
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) during in vitro maturation (IVM) on cumulus expansion, nuclear maturation, fertilization capacity and subsequent development in porcine oocytes. The oocytes were incubated with 0, 25, 50, and $100{\mu}M$ ALA. Cumulus expansion was measured at 22 h, and gene expresison and nuclear maturation were analyzed at 44 h after maturation. Then, mature oocytes with ALA were inseminated, and fertilization parameters and embryo development were evaluated. In results, both of cumulus expansion and nuclear maturation were increased in $50{\mu}M$ ALA groups compared to control groups (p<0.05). However, expression of gap junction protein alpha 1 (GJA1, cumulus expansion-related gene), delta-6 desaturase (FADS1, fatty acid metabolism-related gene), and delta-5 desaturase (FADS2) mRNA in cumulus cells were reduced by $50{\mu}M$ ALA treatment (p<0.05). Cleavage rate was enhanced in 25 and $50{\mu}M$ ALA groups (p<0.05), especially, treatment of $50{\mu}M$ ALA promoted early embryo develop to 4 and 8 cell stages (p<0.05). However, blastocyst formation and number of cells in blastocyst were not differ in 25 and $50{\mu}M$ ALA groups. Our findings show that ALA treatment during maturation could improve nuclear maturation, fertilization, and early embryo development through enhancing of cumulus expansion, however, fatty acid metabolism- and cumulus expansion-related genes were down-regulated. Therefore, addition of ALA during IVM of oocytes could improve fertilization and developmental competence, and further studies regarding with the mechanism of ALA metabolism are needed.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.97-97
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• 2003

For many animals the centrosome consists of a pair of centrioles and surrounding pericentriolar materials (PCMs). PCMs have been known to play roles during cell division. It is known that centrioles are necessary to assemble centrosomal components. However, many types of oocytes undergo meiosis without centrioles. It is known that in nonmurine mammalian species, the sperm introduces an intact proximal centriole unlike sea urchin where two centrioles are introduced. In case of mouse sperm, the presence of centrosome is not clear In this study, a monoclonal antibody was developed to investigate centrosome during mouse germ cell and early embryo development. Results of immunostaining and Western blotting in CHO cells suggest that the monoclonal antibody recognizes a nuclear and centrosomal protein, thus called NCP. The NCP monoclonal antibody was used to screen a cDNA expression library prepared from 12.5 mouse brain to isolate NCP gene. Nucleotide size of NCP gene obtained from immunoscreening was about 5.5kb. It is determined that the NCP may be closely related with pericentriolar material -1 gene (Pcm-1) from the result of sequencing analysis. The molecular weight, 66kDa, calculated by known DNA sequence in database is consistent with that of detected from Western blotting using CHO cell lysates. Therefore, it is assumed that NCP may be alternative splicing form of Pcm-1 of which molecular weight is 228kDa. In mouse oocytes, NCP was distributed in nucleus as in CHO cells. It was shown that the NCP was localized around neck region, probably the centrosome in mouse neck region. Interestingly, dramatic change in distribution of NCP was also shown in male germ cell development. Finally, we observed the cellular distribution of NCP during early embryo development. NCP was detected in nucleus as well as centrosome foci. It is suggested that the centrioles reassembly we occurring in blastocysts and then affects the distribution of NCP.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.63-72
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• 2019

The head gap gene buttonhead (btd) is required for the patterning of head segments in the early Drosophila embryo. Mutant phenotypes of btd display a gap-like phenotype in which antennal, intercalary, mandibular and the anterior portion of the maxillary segments are eliminated. In agreement with the phenotypes, btd is expressed in a stripe covering the head segments at the blastoderm stage. During the early phase of the germband extension, btd is expressed in stripes with single segmental periodicity, which is required for the formation of the peripheral nervous system. In contrast to the key role of btd in Drosophila embryonic development, it has been suggested that Tribolium ortholog of btd (Tc-btd) is dispensable for embryonic head development. In order for better understanding of the requirement of Tc-btd in the early Tribolium embryo, we re-analyzed the expression patterns and functions of Tc-btd during embryonic segmentation. Tc-btd is expressed in segmental stripes at the stages of blastoderm and germband elongation. Up to 28.3% of embryos in which Tc-btd is knocked down displays the loss of antennal, mandibular and the pregnathal regions in the head, with abdominal segments being disrupted in the trunk. Our findings suggest that Tc-btd is required for the head and trunk development in the early Tribolium embryo.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.449-454
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• 1995

The present study was conducted to assess gene expression of bacterial lacZ driven by the SV40 promoter at early developmental stages of bovine embryos. The lacZ gene was linearized with BamHI digestion and introduced into the pronucleus by microinjection at 20 hrs after the commencement of in vitro fertilization. Intact bovine blastocysts were not stained with X-Gal, suggesting that there is no endogenous beta-galactosidase activity in these blastocysts. In contrast, the bovine blastocyst cells microinjected with the lacZ gene exerted a characteristic greenish-blue color originating from the bacterial beta-galactosidase activity, albeit at a low rate, i.e. 2.1% of the total fertilized oocytes injected. It was concluded, therefore, that the lacZ gene driven by the SV40 promoter could be used for an indirect screening method in which the presence of transgene is evaluated from the product of transgene expression.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.75-75
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• 2002

The present study was conducted for the production of transgenic cloned cows by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) that secrete human prourokinase into milk. To establish an efficient production system for bovine transgenic SCNT embryos, the offset was examined of various conditions of donor cells including cell type, size, and passage number on the developmental competence of transgenic SCNT embryos. An expression plasmid far human prourokinase (pbeta-ProU) was constructed by inserting a bovine beta-casein promoter, a green fluorescent protein (GFP) marker gene, and a human prourokinase target gene into a pcDNA3 plasmid. Three types of bovine somatic cells including two adult cells (cumulus cells and ear fibroblasts) and fetal fibroblasts were prepared and transfected using a lipid-meidated method. In Experiment 1, developmental competence and rates of GFP expression in bovine transgenic SCNT embryos reconstructed with cumulus cells were significantly higher than those from fetal and ear fibroblasts. In Experiment 2, the effect of cellular senescence in early (2 to 4) and late (8 to 12) passages was investigated. No significant differences in the development of transgenic SCNT embryos were observed. In Experient 3, different sizes of GFP-expressing transfected cumulus cells [large (>30 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$) or small cell (<30 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$)] were used for SCNT. A significant improvement in embryo development and GFP expression was observed when small cumulus cells were used for SCNT. Taken together, these results demonstrate that (1) adult somatic cells could serve as donor cells in transgenic SCNT embryo production and cumulus cells with small size at early passage were the optimal cell type, and (2) transgenic SCNT embryos derived from adult somatic cells have embryonic development potential.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2006

BmCu/Zn SOD was isolated from early embryo of Bombyx mori using microarray analysis. The BmCu/Zn SOD gene was observed during the early embryonic stage with the strongest signal found at the unfertilizaion, fertilization and blastoderm stages. The BmCu/Zn SOD gene encodes a protein of 154 amino acids with a calculated Mr of 15 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence of BmCu/Zn SOD indicated that the residues that form on the Cu/Zn binding site are conserved and that the sequence is a 60% identity to that of M. domestica. In a phylogenetic tree, Bm SOD was also close to Drosophila SODs rather than other insect SODs. The BmCu/Zn SOD gene exists as a single copy in the genome. Transcripts of BmCu/Zn SOD cDNA were identified by northern blot analysis. The expression of the BmCu/Zn SOD gene was observed weakly in most of larvae, pre-pupae, pupae and adult tissues. Also, the BmCu/Zn SOD gene was observed in early embryonic stage. Although the roles of SODs remains to be further elucidated, the high expression of BmCu/Zn SOD gene at before 24 h post fertilization suggests that this gene is of general importance during early embryogenesis in the Bombyx mod.