Somatic cell nuclear transfer in horses: effect of oocyte morphology, embryo reconstruction method and donor cell type (original) (raw)
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The presence of heterogenous mitochondria from the host ooplast affects the acceptance of offspring obtained by somatic cell nuclear transfer. This might be avoided by obtaining oocytes from selected females, but is then complicated by low numbers of available oocytes. We examined the efficiency of equine somatic cell nuclear transfer using oocytes recovered by transvaginal aspiration of immature follicles from 11 mares. Use of meta-phase I oocytes as cytoplasts and of scriptaid (a histone deacetylase inhibitor) treatment during oocyte activation were evaluated to determine if these approaches would increase blastocyst production. In experiment 1, blastocyst development was 0/14 for metaphase I oocytes and 4/103 (4%) for metaphase II oocytes. Three blastocysts were transferred to recipient mares, resulting in two pregnancies and one live foal, which died shortly after birth. In experiment 2, blastocyst development was 2/47 (4%) for control oocytes and 1/83 (1%) for scriptaid-treated oocytes. No foals were born from two blastocysts transferred in the control group. The blastocyst from the scriptaid treatment resulted in birth of a live foal. In conclusion, this is apparently the first report of production of a viable cloned foal from oocytes collected from immature follicles of live mares, supporting the possibility of cloning using oocytes from selected mares.
Cloning and Stem Cells, 2009
We evaluated the effect of different activation methods on blastocyst development after equine nuclear transfer. All activation treatments were followed by incubation in 2 mM 6-dimethylaminopurine for 4 h. In Experiment 1, reconstructed oocytes were injected with sperm extract for 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, or 1.6 sec using a FemtoJet injection device, then treated with ionomycin. The blastocyst rate (9.8%) for 0.1-sec injection was significantly higher than that for 0.2 sec (0%) or 0.8 sec (1.4%). In Experiment 2, injection of murine PLCz cRNA before or after ionomycin treatment did not increase blastocyst development (0 and 4.5%) over a control treatment (injection of sperm extract after ionomycin exposure; 5.6%). Transfer of 10 blastocysts produced in Experiments 1 and 2 resulted in five pregnancies, all lost before 70 days of gestation. In Experiment 3, cells from a second biopsy sample from the same horse produced significantly more blastocysts than did the original sample (4=44 vs. 0=58; p < 0.05). Transfer of these four blastocysts produced two viable foals. In Experiment 4, blastocyst development rates did not differ between oocytes in metaphase I or II at the time of nuclear transfer (16.7 and 3.0%, respectively). A healthy foal was produced from a blastocyst originating from a metaphase I oocyte.
Theriogenology, 2016
The low efficiency of Inter-Species Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (iSCNT) makes it necessary to investigate new strategies to improve embryonic developmental competence. Embryo aggregation has been successfully applied to improve cloning efficiency in mammals, but it remains unclear whether it could also be beneficial for iSCNT. In this study we first compared the effect of embryo aggregation over in vitro development and blastocyst quality of porcine, bovine and feline zona-free parthenogenetic (PA) embryos to test the effects of embryo aggregation on species that were later used as enucleated oocytes
PLOS ONE, 2016
The demand for equine cloning as a tool to preserve high genetic value is growing worldwide; however, nuclear transfer efficiency is still very low. To address this issue, we first evaluated the effects of time from cell fusion to activation (<1h, n = 1261; 1-2h, n = 1773; 2-3h, n = 1647) on in vitro and in vivo development of equine embryos generated by cloning. Then, we evaluated the effects of using different nuclear donor cell types in two successive experiments: I) induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) vs. adult fibroblasts (AF) fused to ooplasts injected with the pluripotency-inducing genes OCT4, SOX2, MYC and KLF4, vs. AF alone as controls; II) umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (UC-MSCs) vs. fetal fibroblasts derived from an unborn cloned foetus (FF) vs. AF from the original individual. In the first experiment, both blastocyst production and pregnancy rates were higher in the 2-3h group (11.5% and 9.5%, respectively), respect to <1h (5.2% and 2%, respectively) and 1-2h (5.6% and 4.7%, respectively) groups (P<0.05). However, percentages of born foals/pregnancies were similar when intervals of 2-3h (35.2%) or 1-2h (35.7%) were used. In contrast to AF, the iPSCs did not generate any blastocyst-stage embryos. Moreover, injection of oocytes with the pluripotency-inducing genes did not improve blastocyst production nor pregnancy rates respect to AF controls. Finally, higher blastocyst production was obtained using UC-MSC (15.6%) than using FF (8.9%) or AF (9.3%), (P<0.05). Despite pregnancy rates were similar for these 3 groups (17.6%, 18.2% and 22%, respectively), viable foals (two) were obtained only by using FF. In summary, optimum blastocyst production rates can be obtained using a 2-3h interval between cell fusion and activation as well as using UC-MSCs as nuclear donors. Moreover, FF line can improve the efficiency of an inefficient AF line. Overall, 24 healthy foals were obtained from a total of 29 born foals.
Advances in equine cloning by Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) technique in horses: A review
Cloning a horse means using the genetic material (DNA) from a donor horse to produce a genetically identical foal. This technique involves collecting the DNA from the donor and inserting that DNA into an egg from another mare whose, DNA content has been removed, fusing donor nucleus with enucleated recipient oocytes, which then develops as an embryo, in vitro culture of embryo and lastly transfer cultured embryo into the uterus of a recipient mare. The modification of the in vitro culture conditions which can be suitable for equine oocyte activation, oocyte maturation and embryo development are the fundamental steps for a successful in vitro procedure for somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in the horse to avoid the embryo losses. In general, few studies are available in the literature on equine in vitro embryo production and it is only recently that reports have been published on completely in vitro production of equine preimplantation embryos by means of in vitro oocyte maturation. The present review discusses the latest developments in the field of equine cloning technique with the employment of SCNT. The basic understanding of SCNT for in vitro culture conditions is relevant to the increased efficiency of cloning. The available genotype can be used by SCNT which can enhance the vigour of a particular infertile or low fertile animal to produce normal fertility.
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer in Horses
Reproduction in Domestic Animals, 2008
The cloning of equids was achieved in 2003, several years after the birth of Dolly the sheep and also after the cloning of numerous other laboratory and farm animal species. The delay was because of the limited development in the horse of more classical-assisted reproductive techniques required for successful cloning, such as oocyte maturation and in vitro embryo production. When these technologies were developed, the application of cloning also became possible and cloned horse offspring were obtained. This review summarizes the main technical procedures that are required for cloning equids and the present status of this technique. The first step is competent oocyte maturation, this is followed by oocyte enucleation and reconstruction, using either zona-enclosed or zona-free oocytes, by efficient activation to allow high cleavage rates and finally by a suitable in vitro embryo culture technique. Cloning of the first equid, a mule, was achieved using an in vivo-matured oocytes and immediate transfer of the reconstructed embryo, i.e. at the one cell stage, to the recipient oviduct. In contrast, the first horse offspring was obtained using a complete in vitro procedure from oocyte maturation to embryo culture to the blastocyst stage, followed by nonsurgical transfer. Later studies on equine cloning report high efficiency relative to that for other species. Cloned equid offspring reported to date appear to be normal and those that have reached puberty have been confirmed to be fertile. In summary, horse cloning is now a reproducible technique that offers the opportunity to preserve valuable genetics and notably to generate copies of castrated champions and therefore, offspring from those champions that would be impossible to obtain otherwise.
Embryo technologies in the horse
Theriogenology, 2003
Recent studies demonstrated that zwitterionic buffers could be used for satisfactory storage of equine embryos at 5 degrees C. The success of freezing embryos is dependent upon size and stage of development. Morulae and blastocysts <300 microm can be slowly cooled or vitrified with acceptable pregnancy rates after transfer. The majority of equine embryos are collected from single ovulating mares, as there is no commercially available product for superovulation in equine. However, pituitary extract, rich in FSH, can be used to increase embryo recovery three- to four-fold. Similar to human medicine, assisted reproductive techniques have been developed for the older, subfertile mare. Transfer of in vivo-matured oocytes from young, healthy mares into a recipient's oviduct results in a 70-80% pregnancy rate compared with a 30-40% pregnancy rate when the oocytes are from older, subfertile mares. This procedure can also be used to evaluate in vitro maturation systems. In vitro production of embryos is still quite difficult in the horse. However, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has been used to produce several foals. Cleavage rates of 60% and blastocyst rates of 30% have been reported after ICSI of in vitro-matured oocytes. Gamete intrafallopian tube transfer (GIFT) is a possible treatment for subfertile stallions. Transfer of in vivo-matured oocytes with 200,000 sperm into the oviduct of normal mares resulted in a pregnancy rate of 55-82%. Oocyte freezing is a technique that has proven difficult in most species. However, equine oocytes vitrified in a solution of ethylene glycol, DMSO, and Ficoll and loaded onto a cryoloop resulted in three pregnancies of 26 transfers and two live foals produced. Production of a cloned horse appears to be likely, as several cloned pregnancies have recently been produced.