title: Microsurgical cloning techniques for zygotes: a long-term dispute.
abstract: Zygotes (fertilized oocytes) have been considerably neglected as suitable recipients for cell nuclear transfer in cloning. Recently, it has been reported by Polish researchers that microsurgical methods using very thin pipettes for pronuclear removal from mouse zygotes seem to be crucial for successful cloning of adult mice. It was postulated that due to this technique both pronuclei are broken, leaving behind some nuclear components in the oocyte's cytoplasm. Release of pronuclear factors into the cytoplasm turns enucleated zygotes into suitable nuclear recipients for cloning.
authors.affiliation: Genesis Fertility Center, Patras, Greece. illmensee@genesis.vg
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Illmensee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019976:Cloning, Organism / Q000379:methods*; D032921:Consensus; D054885:Cumulus Cells / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D009339:Needles; D053652:Nuclear Transfer Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation; D015053:Zygote / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology