Ontogeny of cloned cattle to lactation.
Central to the success of large animal cloning is the production of healthy animals that can provide products for human health, food, and other animal agriculture applications. We report development of cloned cattle derived from 34 genetically unique, nonembryonic cell lines using nuclear transfer performed between 1 January 1998 and 29 February 2000. Nearly 25% (535/2170) of the recipients receiving reconstructed embryos initiated pregnancy. Overall, 19.8% (106/535) of the initiated pregnancies resulted in live births, while 77% (82/106) of these cattle clones remain healthy and productive today. Although a wide variation in birth weight of clone calves was observed, their growth rates, reproductive performance, and lactation characteristics are similar to that found in noncloned dairy cattle. Our data represent the most comprehensive information on cattle derived from nuclear transfer procedures and indicate that this emerging reproductive technology offers unique opportunities to meet critical needs in both human health care and agriculture.
Pace
Marvin M
MM
Infigen, Inc., 1825 Infinity Drive, DeForest, WI 53532, USA.
Augenstein
Monica L
ML
Betthauser
Jeffery M
JM
Childs
Lynette A
LA
Eilertsen
Kenneth J
KJ
Enos
Joellyn M
JM
Forsberg
Erik J
EJ
Golueke
Paul J
PJ
Graber
Doug F
DF
Kemper
John C
JC
Koppang
Richard W
RW
Lange
Gail
G
Lesmeister
Tiffany L
TL
Mallon
Kelly S
KS
Mell
Greg D
GD
Misica
Pavla M
PM
Pfister-Genskow
Martha
M
Strelchenko
Nikolai S
NS
Voelker
Gary R
GR
Watt
Steven R
SR
Bishop
Michael D
MD
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002417:Cattle; D002460:Cell Line; D019976:Cloning, Organism; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology; D004971:Estrus / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods; D006128:Growth / Q000502:physiology*; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D053652:Nuclear Transfer Techniques; D036801:Parturition / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014463:Ultrasonography