Production of mouse by inter-strain inner cell mass replacement.
The developmental ability of reconstructed blastocysts from C57BL/6 strain mouse inner cell masses (ICMs) and Kunming strain mouse trophoblasts was assessed. The procedure of ICM replacement was as follows: C57BL/6 ICMs were separated from the blastocysts using immunosurgery. A slit was made in the zona pellucida of a Kunming blastocyst to allow its ICM to extrude. The C57BL/6 ICM was injected into the Kunming blastocoele, and the extruded Kunming ICM was cut off. The reconstructed blastocysts were able to re-expand (77%) and hatch (27.3%) in vitro. A total of 64 reconstructed blastocysts and 124 Kunming blastocysts were co-transferred into the uteri of 11 pseudopregnant Kunming mice, and an ICM replacement offspring was born. The results indicate that reconstructed embryos obtained by inter-strain ICM replacement have the ability to develop to term. This technique may provide a method to solve the pregnancy failure in interspecific cloning.
State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Yue-Liang
YL
Zheng
Man-Xi
MX
Jiang
Ying-Chun
YC
OuYang
Qing-Yuan
QY
Sun
Da-Yuan
DY
Chen
D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D019976:Cloning, Organism / Q000379:methods*; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods; D011247:Pregnancy; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000166:cytology