Cell cycle in early mouse embryos : implications for nuclear transfer

The aim of the project was to optimize cell cycle co-ordination in murine embryos reconstructed by nuclear transfer. The project also involved studies of oocyte activation, cell cycle length and synchronization, evaluation of MPF, and DNA replication in early embryos. Embryos were successfully arrested at mitosis by culturing them up to 16 hours with 2.5 mM 6-dimethylaminopurine (DMAP). However, the reversibility and the development after release was affected when exposed for more than 9 hours. A comparative study of different concentrations of 6-DMAP and 10 tM nocodazole for holding the embryos at mitosis for 12 hours showed a greater effectiveness of nocodazole. Treatment of embryos for synchronization with different concentrations of Taxol for different time periods was not successful because of its toxicity affects. Nocodazole was used as a method of synchronization in subsequent studies. In most of the experiments 25 mM strontium chloride was used as the method for the artificial activation of cytoplasts and reconstituted embryos. Later on, a new method for parthenogenetic activation of metaphase II oocytes or recipient cytoplasts was established. The later method involved the exposure of metaphase II oocytes or recipient cytoplast to 25 mM strontium chloride for 60 minutes with subsequent exposure to 2.0 mM 6-DMAP for 3 hours. The proportion of parthenogenetically activated metaphase II oocytes that reached blastocyst stage was greater (P< 0.001) than using strontium chloride alone. The new protocol was better than the protocol using 5 pM lonomycin for 5 minutes with subsequent exposure to 2.0 mM 6-DMAP. Moreover, when embryos were produced by transfer of 4-cell donor nuclei into recipient cytoplasts which were pre-activated with strontium chloride and 6-DMAP (25 mM strontium chloride (1 hour) + 2.0 mM 6-DMAP (3 hours)), an enhanced development to morulalblastocyst was achieved compared to the use of strontium alone. The effect of meiosis/mitosis/maturation promotion factor (MPF) on the development of embryos reconstructed at different times in relation to activation was investigated and its level was studied by looking at nuclear envelope breakdown (NEBD) and nuclear envelope breakdown and premature chromatin condensation (NEBD&PCC). The first cell cycle length of the enucleated and nonenucleated parthenotes was also studied. In the absence of nuclear material, the cell

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