采用胚挽救获得Ogura CMS甘蓝与甘蓝型油菜的种间杂种

为将甘蓝型油菜细胞质雄性不育系(Ogura CMS)的恢复基因转至甘蓝Ogura CMS材料上,以6份甘蓝Ogura CMS材料为母本,以含恢复基因的甘蓝型油菜为父本,人工杂交结合胚挽救培养,研究取材时期、培养基成分和杂交组合对胚珠成苗的影响,同时对胚挽救培养获得的植株是否为真实F1杂种进行鉴定。结果发现,胚珠培养以剥蕾授粉后16d取材时胚珠成苗数最多,成苗率为4.56%;培养基以MS+GA 0.1 mg·L~(-1)+NAA 0.1 mg·L~(-1)+0.5%水解酪蛋白(CH)+0.5%活性炭(AC)成苗效果最好,成苗率高达6.24%;M09CMS×RFO-46组合成苗数最多,成苗率为5.96%。67株胚挽救培养得到的植株经流式细胞仪、SSR分子标记和形态学鉴定,得出65株为真杂种,真杂种率高达97%。     

水稻育性调控相关基因RNAi载体的构建及其表型鉴定

利用RNAi干扰技术研究不同基因对花粉发育、卵细胞发育和合子胚发育的影响是一种重要的手段。本研究通过筛选水稻在生殖发育过程中的9个重要调控基因,构建基因的RNAi表达载体,分析转基因植株育性及相关性状表型,以期探明RNAi表达载体对靶标性状的干扰效应。其中,AT61~AT63、AT64~AT66、AT67~AT69表达载体分别靶标花粉育性、卵细胞发育以及合子胚发育的调控。结果表明,除RNAi表达载体AT64没有获得转基因植株外,其余8个RNAi表达载体均获得了转基因植株;对T0代转基因植株的花粉育性、结实率以及潮霉素筛选(40 mg/L)发芽率检测的统计结果显示,RNAi表达载体AT62(花粉发育调控)、AT65(卵细胞发育调控)和AT67(合子胚发育调控)的干扰效应较强。本研究结果将为创制新型水稻基因工程不育系提供策略和选择。     

Vitrification of mouse two-cell and blastocyst stage embryos in simplified closed system using either a hemi-straw or a hollow fiber device

Two-cell stage and blastocyst stage mouse embryos were equilibrated in a medium containing 7.5% ethylene glycol (EG) and 7.5% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) for 8–15 min. Vitrification was performed in a medium containing 0.5 M sucrose and either 15% EG + 15% DMSO, 17.5% EG + 17.5% DMSO, or 20% EG + 20% DMSO for 30 s. They were then placed either on a hemi-straw (HS) or a hollow fiber vitrification (HFV) device and vitrified by cooled air inside a 0.5-ml straw. In two-cell embryos, a 100% survival rate was obtained from all groups except the 20% HS group (P > .05). All vitrified two-cell groups showed similar rates of blastocyst development to that of fresh control group (P > .05), except 17.5% and 20% HFV groups, which were significantly lower than the other groups (P < .05). In the blastocyst embryos, the HFV groups were divided into two subgroups (non-collapsed; HFV-NC and collapsed; HFV-C blastocyst). Re-expansion rate in 15% HFV-NC, 17.5% HFV-NC, and 15% HFV-C groups was reduced (P < .05), whereas the rest were similar to control. In conclusion, we established a simplified, reliable, and closed system for HFV vitrification applying hemi-straw, which does not require skilled practitioners.     

Embryo-mediated genome editing for accelerated genetic improvement of livestock

Selecting beneficial DNA variants is the main goal of animal breeding. However, this process is inherently inefficient because each animal only carries a fraction of all desirable variants. Genome editing technology with its ability to directly introduce beneficial sequence variants offers new opportunities to modernize animal breeding by overcoming this biological limitation and accelerating genetic gains. To realize rapid genetic gain, precise edits need to be introduced into genomically-selected embryos, which minimizes the genetic lag. However, embryo-mediated precision editing by homology-directed repair (HDR) mechanisms is currently an inefficient process that often produces mosaic embryos and greatly limits the numbers of available edited embryos. This review provides a summary of genome editing in bovine embryos and proposes an embryo-mediated accelerated breeding scheme that overcomes the present efficiency limitations of HDR editing in bovine embryos. It integrates embryo-based genomic selection with precise multi-editing and uses embryonic cloning with elite edited blastomeres or embryonic pluripotent stem cells to resolve mosaicism, enable multiplex editing and multiply rare elite genotypes. Such a breeding strategy would enable a more targeted, accelerated approach for livestock improvement that allows stacking of beneficial variants, even including novel traits from outside the breeding population, in the most recent elite genetic background, essentially within a single generation.     

鸡胚及禽类细胞系在生物医药领域的应用及研究进展

鸡胚因发育过程清楚，长久以来作为基础和应用科学研究领域重要的实验模型，尤其在鸡胚发育早期绒毛尿囊膜阶段，因其血管丰富，是天然的免疫缺陷宿主，是病理学、药理学和肿瘤学等研究领域的理想实验模型。作者简述了发育早期的鸡胚组织结构，并介绍了鸡胚绒毛尿囊膜在肿瘤研究、血管生成、器官移植、烧伤等疾病机理研究中的应用，以及在鸡胚病理模型基础上进行的抗肿瘤药物筛选的应用。重点介绍了鸡胚及禽类细胞系在病毒繁殖和疫苗生产、治疗性蛋白和单抗生产方面的应用研究进展。多种人源病毒、禽源病毒、支原体等可在鸡胚及禽类细胞上增殖，并用于疫苗生产。作者对常用的禽类纤维原细胞和多能干细胞的发展和特点进行了阐述，并总结了商业化的禽类细胞系来源以及部分易感病毒。鸡胚表达系统能够在目的蛋白特定位点产生人源化糖基，减少目的蛋白对人的过敏反应，且禽蛋廉价易得，可作为生产人用单克隆抗体和治疗性蛋白的合适供体。作者介绍了鸡胚及禽类细胞系在生物医药领域应用的最新进展，并对鸡胚作为动物模型在未来的应用进行了展望。     

Current knowledge about the processes of luteolysis and maternal recognition of pregnancy in camelids

Camelids have many unique reproductive features that considerably differ from those of other domestic species. Females are induced ovulators with subsequent development of a corpus luteum (CL) with a short lifespan. Plasma progesterone concentration starts to increase on day 4, peaks on day 8–9 and, in non-pregnant animals, basal concentration is reached around day 10–11 post-induction of ovulation. Luteolytic pulses of prostaglandin F_2α (PGF_2α) are firstly detected on day 7 or 8 (approximately on day 5–6 after ovulation), with maximal luteolytic peaks observed between days 9 and 11 post-mating, in coincidence with a high endometrial expression of cyclooxygenase 2, a limiting enzyme in prostaglandins synthesis. Unlike other species, oxytocin seems not to be involved in the luteolytic process in these species. The CL is the main source of progesterone secretion, and its function is required to support pregnancy. Despite constant research efforts, aspects of reproduction and maternal recognition of pregnancy in camelids remain not fully understood. A transient decrease and subsequent recovery in plasma progesterone concentration are observed after day 9 post-mating in pregnant animals in association with a pulsatile release of PGF_2α and a transitory decrease in CL vascularization. Thus, embryo recognition should occur between days 8 and 12 post-mating. In camels, conceptus tissues exhibit aromatizing activity with the capacity to synthesize large amounts of oestradiol. Similarly, llama blastocysts secrete oestradiol-17β during the preimplantation stage, with a higher production during the elongation period. An increase in the endometrial expression of oestrogen receptor α is also observed on day 12 post-mating. All these evidences suggest that oestrogen could be the signal released by the embryo at the time of its recognition in camelids. Besides, nearly 98% of pregnancies are carried out in the left horn. A decrease in the endometrial expression of mucin 1 and 16 genes has been reported, suggesting that these changes are crucial for successful embryo implantation; however, no differences have been observed between horns. Thus, maternal recognition of pregnancy in camelids is a particularly complex process that must occur in a concise time to allow the rescue of the CL and embryo survival.     

Involvement of histone H2B monoubiquitination in the regulation of mouse preimplantation development

Histone H2B monoubiquitination (H2Bub1) plays an important role in developmental regulation in various vertebrate species. However, the role of H2Bub1 in mammalian preimplantation development remains unclear. In the present study, we examined the role of H2Bub1 in the regulation of mouse preimplantation development. Based on immunocytochemical analysis using an anti-H2Bub1 antibody, no H2Bub1 signal was detected in the metaphase chromosomes of unfertilized oocytes or the pronuclei of early 1-cell stage embryos, but a weak signal was observed in late 1-cell stage embryos. The signal increased after cleavage into the 2-cell stage, and thereafter a strong signal was observed until the blastocyst stage. To assess the significance of H2Bub1 in the regulation of preimplantation development, RNF20 (an H2B-specific ubiquitin E3 ligase) was knocked down using small interfering RNA (siRNAs). In embryos treated with siRNA, the levels of Rnf20 mRNA and H2Bub1 decreased at the 4-cell and morula stages. Although these embryos developed normally until the morula stage, only one-third developed into the blastocyst stage. These results suggested that H2Bub1 is involved in the regulation of preimplantation development.     

Prolonging hypothermic storage (4 C) of bovine embryos with fish antifreeze protein

Embryos obtained via superovulation are necessary for mammalian artificial reproduction, and viability is a key determinant of success. Nonfreezing storage at 4 C is possible, but currently used storage solutions can maintain embryo viability for only 24–48 h. Here we found that 10 mg/ml antifreeze protein (AFP) dissolved in culture medium 199 with 20% (v/v) fetal bovine serum and 25 mM HEPES could keep bovine embryos alive for 10 days at 4 C. We used a recombinant AFP isolated from the notched-fin eelpout (Zoarces elongatus Kner). Photomicroscopy indicated that the AFP–embryo interaction was enhanced at 37 C. Embryos pre-warmed with the AFP solution at 37 C for 60 min maintained high viability, whereas those that were not pre-warmed could live no longer than 7 days. Thus, short-term storage of bovine embryos was achieved by a combination of AFP-containing medium and controlled pre-warming.