title: Developmental ability of miniature pig embryos cloned with mesenchymal stem cells.
abstract: The present study compared the developmental ability of miniature pig embryos cloned with fetal fibroblasts (FFs), bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and differentiated (osteocytes, adipocytes and chondrocytes) MSCs. MSCs were isolated from an approximately 1-month-old female miniature pig (T-type, PWG Micro-pig((R)), PWG Genetics Korea). MSCs were differentiated into osteocytes, adipocytes and chondrocytes under controlled conditions and characterized by cell surface antigen profile using specific markers. These differentiated or undifferentiated MSCs, as well as FFs of miniature pig, were transferred into enucleated oocytes of domestic pigs. Data from 10 replicates involving 1567 cloned embryos were assessed in terms of developmental rates. The in vitro development rate to the blastocyst stage of embryos cloned with undifferentiated MSCs was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of embryos cloned with differentiated MSCs and FFs. Surgical transfer of 523 two-cell stage embryos cloned with undifferentiated MSCs into five synchronized domestic pig recipients resulted in 5 cloned miniature pig offspring (1 stillborn and 4 viable) from 2 pregnant recipients. The results imply that MSCs might be multipotent and that they can be used to produce viable cloned miniature pigs that cannot be easily reproduced with differentiated somatic cells.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Japan.
authors.forename: Sung-Lim
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun-Ju
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Geun-Ho
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Maeng
authors.forename: Min-Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jun-Kyu
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Tae-Suk
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang-Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hyun
authors.forename: Eun-Song
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Gyu-Jin
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Rho
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology; D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology; D019976:Cloning, Organism / Q000379:methods* / Q000662:veterinary*; D004973:Estrus Synchronization; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D053652:Nuclear Transfer Techniques; D010011:Osteocytes / Q000166:cytology; D011247:Pregnancy; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature / Q000196:embryology*