• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.91-99
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• 2014

Oxygen consumption is a useful parameter for evaluating mammalian embryo quality, since individual bovine embryos was noninvasively quantified by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). Recently, several approaches have been used to measure the oxygen consumption rates of individual embryos, but relationship between oxygen consumption and pregnancy rates of Hanwoo following embryo transfer has not yet been reported. In this study, we measured to investigate the correlation between oxygen consumption rate and pregnancy rates of Hanwoo embryo using a SECM. In addition to, the expression of pluripotent gene and anti-oxidant enzyme was determined using real-time PCR by extracting RNA according to the oxygen consumption of in vivo embryo. First, we found that the oxygen consumption significantly increased in blastocyst-stage embryos (blastocyst) compared to early blastocyst stage embryos, indicating that oxygen consumption reflects the embryo quality (Grade I). Oxygen consumption of blastocyst was measured using a SECM and total cell number of in vitro blastocyst was enumerated by counting cells stained by propidium iodide. The oxygen consumption or GI blastocysts were significantly higher than those of GII blastocysts ($10.2{\times}10^{15}/mols^{-1}$ versus $6.4{\times}10^{15}/mols^{-1}$, p<0.05). Total cell numbers of in vitro blastocysts were 74.8, 90.7 and 110.2 in the oxygen consumption of below 10.0, 10.0~12.0 and over $12.0{\sim}10^{15}/mols^{-1}$, respectively. Pregnant rate in recipient cow was 0, 60 and 80% in the transplantation of embryo with the oxygen consumption of below 10.0, 10.0~12.0 and over $12.0{\times}10^{15}/mols^{-1}$, respectively. GPX1 and SOD1 were significantly increased in over -10.0 group than below 10.0 groups but in catalase gene, there was no significant difference. On the other hand, In OCT-4 and Sox2, pluripotent gene, there was a significant difference (p<0.05) between the below-10.0 ($0.98{\pm}0.1$) and over 10.0 ($1.79{\pm}0.2$). In conclusion, these results suggest that measurement of oxygen consumption maybe help increase the pregnant rate of Hanwoo embryos.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.275-281
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• 1999

The utility of RSV-LTR and carp beta-actin promoters was evaluated in a marine flatfish species, Limanda Yokohamae by examining successful expression of transgenic DNA in muscles (transfected by direct injection) and in early embryos (transformed by lipofected sperm). The expressed pattern of injected DNA in skeletal muscles was dependent on the DNA amount injected. The activity reached to maximal level at 48 hours post injection, and persisted up ot 1 month transiently. Gene transfer into early embryo of this species was successfully achieved using lipofected sperm with the efficiency ranging 36.8% to 48.1%. The expression of transgene during embryonic development was shown as stage-specific and transient.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2009

Lmbr1 is regarded as a key gene that controls the digital model formation in early developmental stages of the chicken. However, there are few reports of lmbr1 expression levels and tendencies in 4-toe and 5-toe chicken species. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare the lmbr1 expression in White Leghorn (4-toe) and Chinese Silky (5-toe). Firstly, total RNA was extracted from 14 different embryonic development stages (HH3 to HH31) in White Leghorn and Chinese Silky. Secondly, dramatic gene expression changes of lmbr1 were monitored by RT-PCR, which indicated a general up-down-up tendency with subtle differences between these two species. Moreover, Q-PCR reactions were performed to quantitate the expression level of lmbr1 in the 14 selected developmental stages. These data demonstrated a first lmbr1 expression peak of 18.68 and 15.32, a lmbr1 expression trough of 6.61 and 1.80, and a second lmbr1 expression peak of 22.33 and 12.48 in White Leghorn and Chinese Silky, respectively. Finally, embryonic in situ hybridization analysis identified that lmbr1 expressed in the ectoderm in HH21, HH23 and HH24 developmental stages in both species.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.285-295
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• 2019

Junction-mediating and regulatory protein (JMY) is a regulator of both transcription and actin filament assembly. The actin-regulatory activity of JMY is based on a cluster of three actin-binding Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein homology 2 (WH2) domains that nucleate actin filaments directly and promote nucleation of the Arp2/3 complex. In addition to these activities, we examined the activity of JMY generation in early embryo of mice carrying mutations in the JMY gene by CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genome engineering. We demonstrated that JMY protein shuttled expression between the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Knockout of exon 2, CA (central domain and Arp2/3-binding acidic domain) and NLS-2 (nuclear localization signal domain) on the JMY gene by CRISPR/Cas9 system was effective and markedly impeded embryonic development. Additionally, it impaired transcription and zygotic genome activation (ZGA)-related genes. These results suggest that JMY acts as a transcription factor, which is essential for the early embryonic development in mice.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 1998.05a
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• pp.12-28
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• 1998

The technology of creating transgenic animals has a potential value in improving productivity and disease resistance of animals, gene therapy, drug pharming and production of model animals for certain diseases. Up to date, fairly low success rate of production of transgenic animals and a pronounced variability with respect to the expression of transgenes have been much observed. The mechanisms how to integrate the injected genes with a certain part of the genomes are unknown yet. Many techniques in gene transfer, beside microinjection, have been introduced and explored thus to improve the production efficiency of transgenic animals. In this article, the methods and efficiency of gene-transfer techniques, the detection and preselection of transgenes in embryos by PCR- and GFP-screenings and cloning of preselected transgenic embryos by nuclear transplantation are described and discussed. Some experimental results showed that the early screening and selection of integration of the injected gene with embryonic genome by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and green fluorecence protein(GFP) were promising methods. Further, the application of nuclear transplantation technology to cloning and multiplication of the positively integrated genes in the cleaving embryos and embryonic cells will be beneficially used for the mass production of transgenic embryos and consequently improving the production efficiency in transgenic animals.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.239-247
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• 1996

An embryonic stem (ES) cell-based in vitro model system was examined to determine whether a simple differentiation of embryoid bodies (EB) in the suspension medium is useful to dissect early erythropoiesis. Characteristics of the differentiating EBs were monitored for their differentiation potential to generate hematopoietic cell types by general morphology, benzidine staining and two-step colony assays, and expressivity of several erythroid marker genes by the RT-PCR analysis for total cellular RNA prepared from the differentiating EBs. Every ematopoietic lineage cells were generated from the differentiating EBs with reproducible frequencies, similar to the other sophisticated differentiation protocols. Furthermore, the globin gene switching in differentiating ES cells paralleled the sequence of events found in the mouse embryo, and such that their expression was activated by at least 12 hrs later than those of erythroid-specific transcription factors, GATA-1 and Tal-1 The erythropoietic differentiation program initiated reproducibly and efficiently in this simple differentiation system in a suspension culture, such that this system may be useful for dissection of the molecular events of early erythropoiesis.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.57-63
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• 2011

This study was performed to the expressions of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and 20alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase ($20{\alpha}$-HSD) in bovine corpus luteum during early pregnancy. To determine the function of PAPP-A gene during early pregnancy, we collected corpus luteum samples on 30, 60 and 90 days of pregnancy in bovine. The mRNA expression of PAPP-A, $20{\alpha}$-HSD, progesterone-receptor (PR) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein4 (IGFBP4) gene was conducted by Real-time PCR. In parallel with mRNA levels, The protein expressions of PAPP-A and $20{\alpha}$-HSD were detected by immunological analysis. The mRNA expressions $20{\alpha}$-HSD and PAPP-A significantly increased on day 90 in the corpus luteum during pregnancy. The mRNA expression of PR and JGFBP4 in the corpus luteum progressively was enhanced at 30 to 60 day, but decreased on 90 day of pregnancy in the corpus luteum. The expression patterns of these genes, PAPP-A and $20{\alpha}$-HSD were similar pattern in these tissues. In conclusion, PAPP-A and $20{\alpha}$-HSD activity in corpus luteum could be played a role for early pregnancy manifestation.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.67-75
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• 2011

The faulty regulation of imprinting gene lead to the abnormal development of reconstructed embryo after nuclear transfer. However, the correlation between the imprinting status of donor cell and preimplantation stage of embryo development is not yet clear. In this study, to determine this correlation, we used the porcine spermatogonial stem cell (pSSC) and fetal fibroblast (pFF) as donor cells. As the results, the isolated cells with laminin matrix selection strongly expressed the GFR ${\alpha}$-1 and PLZF genes of SSCs specific markers. The pSSCs were maintained to 12 passages and positive for the pluripotent marker including OCT4, SSEA1 and NANOG. The methylation analysis of H19 DMR of pSSCs revealed that the zinc finger protein binding sites CTCF3 of H19 DMRs displayed an androgenic imprinting pattern (92.7%). Also, to investigate the reprogramming potential of pSSCs as donor cell, we compared the development rate and methylation status of H19 gene between the reconstructed embryos from pFF and pSSC. This result showed no significant differences of the development rate between the pFFs ($11.2{\pm}0.8%$) and SSCs ($13.3{\pm}1.1%$). However, interestingly, while the CTCF3 methylation status of pFF-NT blastocyst was decreased (36.3%), and the CTCF3 methylation status of pSSC-NT blastocyst was maintained. Therefore, this result suggested that the genomic imprinting status of pSSCs is more effective than that of normal somatic cells for the normal development because the maintenance of imprinting pattern is very important in early embryo stage.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.127-131
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• 2010

The objective of this study was to determine the mRNA expression patterns of several putative imprinted genes in in vivo and in vitro fertilized, parthenogenetic, and cloned porcine preimplantation embryos. Both maternally (Dlk1, IGF2, Peg1/Mest and Ndn) and paternally (IGF2r, H19 and Xist) imprinted genes were selected. We have used reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to investigate gene expression patterns in the porcine embryos. IGF2 transcripts were detected in the most of embryos. In nuclear transfer (NT), Peg1/MEST transcripts showed fluctuating pattern. Dlk1 was only expressed partially from the morula and blastocyst stage of NT embryos. Ndn gene expression was started somewhat early for in vivo embryos. However, the expressions of maternally imprinted genes were similar in all types of blastocysts (NT, in vivo and in vitro fertilized, and parthenogenetic embryos). The IGF2R gene expression level was somewhat irregular and varied among samples. However, for the majority samples of all types of embryos, IGF2R expression was diminished after one- to two-cell stages and reappeared at the morulae or blastocyst stage embryos. H19 gene was only expressed early in parthenogenetic and in vivo embryos. For NT embryos, H19 was only expressed in blastocysts. Xist expression was detected in all blastocysts with the earliest being in vivo 8-cell stage embryos and the last one being NT blastocysts. These putative imprinted genes appeared to have stage specific expression patterns with a fluctuating pattern for some genes (Peg/Mest, IGF2r, H19). These results suggest that stage specific presence of imprinted genes can affect the embryo implantation and fetal development.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 1998.07a
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• pp.59-60
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• 1998

A DNA construct containing rat T $\alpha$ 1 $\alpha$ -tuulin gene 5'-flanking sequence and GFP reporer gene was microinjected into 1-cell loach embryos. Neuron-specific FGP expression was observed in developing loach embryos and early stage fry. The results demonstrated that rat T $\alpha$ 1 $\alpha$ -tubulin gene promoter may be sufficient to specify gene expression to neurons in loach embryos. Thus, the use of GFP reporter controlled by T $\alpha$ 1 $\alpha$ -tubulin gene promoter may facilitate visualization of the dynamic processes of neural tissue development.