基因组表观重编程对体细胞核移植成功率的影响

基因组表观重编程缺陷是影响体细胞核移植效率的主要因素,本文讨论了表观重编程的两大主要机制——DNA甲基化及组蛋白修饰及其对体细胞核移植重构胚胎发育的影响,并综述了几种促进核重编程的方法。     

哺乳动物体细胞核移植的DNA甲基化重编程研究进展

DNA甲基化是基因组主要的表观遗传修饰方式之一.核移植重构胚在对供体细胞基因组进行甲基化重编程过程中会出现异常的甲基化模式,而异常的甲基化重编程是导致克隆胚早期死亡及克隆动物发育畸形的主要原因.论文针对体细胞克隆动物基因组DNA的甲基化模式、造成克隆胚胎甲基化异常的原因及异常甲基化对重构胚胎发育的影响等进行了综述.深入研究核移植重构胚甲基化重编程的机制,有助于完善核移植技术,提高克隆效率,使其更好地应用于基础研究和生产实践.     

PEG11基因在体细胞核移植牛中印迹和DNA甲基化状态分析

为了分析PEG11基因在体细胞核移植(somatic cell nuclear transfer,SCNT)牛中的印记以及重编程状态,本研究应用RT-PCR产物直接测序法对PEG11基因在自然繁殖牛和新生死亡SCNT牛7个组织(心、肝、脾、肺、肾、肌肉和脂肪)中的表达进行了分析。结果发现PEG11基因在自然繁殖牛的7个组织中均为单等位基因表达,表明PEG11基因在牛中是印记的;在SCNT牛肺脏中PEG11基因为双等位基因表达,而在其余6个组织中为单等位基因表达。进而用亚硫酸氢盐测序法分析自然繁殖牛和SCNT牛肺脏PEG11基因中54CpGs位点的甲基化状态,发现PEG11基因在SCNT牛肺脏中呈现与自然繁殖牛相似的高甲基化状态(97.26%),推测PEG11基因在新生死亡SCNT牛肺脏中印记紊乱可能是导致SCNT牛肺脏发育缺陷的原因之一,PEG11基因内部CGIs的甲基化不参与调控PEG11基因的基因组印记。     

哺乳动物体细胞核移植胚胎发育中表观重编程的研究进展

体细胞核移植（somatic cell nuclear transfer,SCNT）是一种能将已分化的体细胞重编程为全能胚胎的繁殖生物技术,在良种扩繁、濒危物种保护和治疗性克隆等方面有着广泛的应用前景,但极低的克隆效率、克隆动物胎盘异常、出生后胎儿畸形等严重限制了该技术的实际应用。造成克隆效率低和胚胎发育异常的主要原因是供体核表观遗传重编程错误或不完全。1958年,将非洲爪蟾（Xenopus laevis）幼体肠细胞核移入去核卵母细胞,获得了第1例SCNT动物个体;1986年,通过电融合1个卵裂球与去核卵母细胞成功获得了3只存活的羔羊;1997年,将成年母羊的乳腺上皮细胞与去核卵细胞电融合,获得首个SCNT哺乳动物"多利",开启了克隆时代,目前牛、小鼠、山羊、猪、欧洲盘羊、家兔、家猫、马、大鼠、骡子、狗、雪貂、狼、水牛、红鹿、单峰骆驼、食蟹猴等相继成功克隆,其中最引人瞩目的是2018年食蟹猴的成功克隆。作者通过将SCNT胚胎与受精胚胎的发育进行对比,阐述了SCNT过程中DNA甲基化、组蛋白修饰、基因组印迹、染色体状态等的重编程过程和缺陷,并从表观修饰剂、组蛋白去甲基化酶、抑制Xist表达、补充鱼精蛋白和精子RNA方面探讨单独或联合消除表观遗传重编程障碍对克隆效率的影响。随着低样本量测序技术的发展和完善,人们能够在SCNT胚胎中检测到更详细的全基因组表观遗传修饰图谱,进一步揭示SCNT胚胎表观遗传重编程中的缺陷,为提高克隆效率提供了线索。通过上述内容的阐述,希望为后续开发联合消除多种表观遗传障碍而提高克隆效率的策略和思路。     

小鼠早期胚胎发育过程中的DNA去甲基化

表观遗传修饰在基因转录与表达、细胞生长与分化以及动物个体正常发育等过程中都具有重要的调控作用。表观遗传修饰发生异常,会引起机体生长发育中的各种异常。哺乳动物从精卵受精到附植前的胚胎早期发育阶段会发生重要的表观遗传重编程,主要包括DNA甲基化和组蛋白修饰。精卵受精后DNA发生主动和被动2种方式的去甲基化。本文主要综述了与DNA甲基化相关的蛋白和早期胚胎发育过程中的去甲基化机制,并对小鼠附植前胚胎发育过程中的DNA甲基化的动态变化进行了详细的论述。     

DNA甲基转移酶抑制剂在动物体细胞核移植研究中的应用

甲基化对胚胎发育和机体形成具有重要的调控作用,体细胞核移植胚胎常常表现出异常的DNA甲基化,DNA甲基转移酶抑制剂能抑制细胞的DNA甲基化水平,从而达到提高体细胞核移植效率的作用。作者主要综述了DNA甲基转移酶抑制剂在动物体细胞核移植研究中的应用。     

LINC24065在体细胞核移植牛中的异常表达

旨在揭示DLK1-DIO3印记域上一个新的长链非编码RNA(long noncoding RNA,lncRNA)LINC24065在自然繁殖牛(natural reproduction,NR)与体细胞核移植牛(somatic cell nuclear transfer,SCNT)中的组织表达与印记状态,对进一步了解DLK1-DIO3印记域在供体核重编程中的作用提供一定的理论基础。本研究以自然繁殖牛的大脑组织为试验材料,利用RACE和RT-PCR技术,在牛的DLK1-DIO3印记域内鉴定了一个新的印记的lncRNA基因,命名为LINC24065。用基于SNP(single nucleotide polymopisms)的RT-PCR产物直接测序方法分析LINC24065在自然繁殖牛和体细胞核移植牛组织中的表达及印记状态。序列分析发现,LINC24065编码6个可变剪接体,并在自然繁殖牛被检测的7个组织中都表达,而在体细胞核移植牛组织中没有检测到可变剪接体LINC24065-V3,且其它5个剪接体呈现组织特异性表达。印记状态分析发现,LINC24065在自然繁殖牛和体细胞核移植牛的7个组织中均为单等位基因表达,但在体细胞核移植牛的大脑组织中出现了与其他组织亲本来源不同的单等位基因表达。研究结果说明,LINC24065基因在体细胞核移植牛的大脑中出现了印记紊乱,并且剪接体在组织中的表达也发生了改变。以上研究结果说明LINC24065基因与体细胞核移植牛的发育异常有关。     

DNA甲基化在猪胚胎发育过程中的研究进展

猪的胚胎发育需要经历受精、卵裂、孵化、形态转变、附植、器官分化等一系列重要的生理阶段。虽然在胚胎发育过程中基因的严格表达与正确指导是胚胎能否正常发育的决定性条件,但研究表明DNA甲基化修饰对胚胎的发育也起着必不可少的作用。DNA甲基化是一种常见且重要的表观遗传修饰,虽然不改变DNA的一级序列,但也包含可遗传信息,并在基因的转录调控中起重要作用。在猪的胚胎发育中,DNA甲基化呈现出高度动态的过程,这一过程受孕期母体营养和发育环境条件影响。本文将从胚胎早期发育、体细胞核移植和孕期母体营养三个方面来阐述DNA甲基化对胚胎发育的影响,为进一步研究猪胚胎在发育过程中的DNA甲基化机制和提高体细胞核移植的成功率提供参考。     

体细胞核移植的不完全核重编程与克隆动物的发育异常

体细胞核完全的重编程是成功生产克隆动物的先决条件,体细胞核的不完全重编程是克隆动物发育异常的主要原因。本文主要通过对DNA甲基化、组蛋白乙酰化、端粒、X染色体失活和印记基因表达几个方面的论述,来探讨造成克隆动物发育异常的原因。     

早期胚胎DNA甲基化研究进展

DNA甲基化修饰是研究最多的表观遗传修饰之一,在调控基因转录、染色体结构稳定、基因印迹、X染色体失活等方面发挥作用。尽管DNA甲基化是一种稳定的修饰,但其在个体发育进程中是动态变化的。目前,人们对早期胚胎发育中DNA甲基化修饰研究还不全面,随着全基因组DNA甲基化分析技术的进步,其在早期胚胎中的功能也逐渐揭示。作者主要论述了DNA甲基转移酶（DNMTs）的发现及其调控作用和DNA甲基化在早期胚胎中的作用。     

Inheritance of histone H3 methylation in reprogramming of somatic nuclei following nuclear transfer

Successful cloning requires reprogramming of epigenetic information of the somatic nucleus to an embryonic state. However, the molecular mechanisms regarding epigenetic reprogramming of the somatic chromatin are unclear. Herein, we transferred NIH3T3 cell nuclei into enucleated mouse oocytes and evaluated the histone H3 dimethyl-lysine 4 (H3K4me2) dynamics by immunocytochemistry. A low level of H3K4me2 in the somatic chromatin was maintained in pseudo-pronuclei. Unlike in vitro fertilized (IVF) embryos, the methylation level of nuclear transfer (NT) embryos was significantly increased at the 8-cell stage. NT embryos showed lower H3K4me2 intensity than IVF embryos at the 2-cell stage, which is when the mouse embryonic genome is activated. Moreover, the H3K4me2 signal was weak in the recloned embryos derived from single blastomeres of the NT embryos, whereas it was intense in those from IVF embryos. Two imprinted genes, U2afbp-rs and Xist, were abnormally transcribed in cloned embryos compared with IVF embryos, and this was partly correlated to the H3K4me2 level. Our results suggest that abnormal reprogramming of epigenetic markers such as histone acetylation and methylation may lead to dysregualtion of gene expression in cloned embryos.     

Mitochondrial and DNA damage in bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos

The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent mitochondrial and DNA damage in bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos were examined. Bovine enucleated oocytes were electrofused with donor cells and then activated by a combination of Ca-ionophore and 6-dimethylaminopurine culture. The H₂O₂ and ˙OH radical levels, mitochondrial morphology and membrane potential (ΔΨ), and DNA fragmentation of SCNT and in vitro fertilized (IVF) embryos at the zygote stage were analyzed. The H₂O₂ (35.6 ± 1.1 pixels/embryo) and ˙OH radical levels (44.6 ± 1.2 pixels/embryo) of SCNT embryos were significantly higher than those of IVF embryos (19.2 ± 1.5 and 23.8 ± 1.8 pixels/embryo, respectively, p < 0.05). The mitochondria morphology of SCNT embryos was diffused within the cytoplasm. The ΔΨ of SCNT embryos was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than that of IVF embryos (0.95 ± 0.04 vs. 1.21 ± 0.06, red/green). Moreover, the comet tail length of SCNT embryos was longer than that of IVF embryos (515.5 ± 26.4 µm vs. 425.6 ± 25.0 µm, p < 0.05). These results indicate that mitochondrial and DNA damage increased in bovine SCNT embryos, which may have been induced by increased ROS levels.     

应用体细胞克隆技术和胚胎移植技术生产克隆水牛

为了解决克隆水牛技术在供核细胞、受体细胞中的选用问题,探索不同条件对移植受孕的影响,完善克隆技术的理论体系。试验以摩拉奶水牛的耳成纤维细胞作为供核细胞,本地水牛卵母细胞为受体胞质进行细胞克隆构建重组胚胎;将发育5～10 d的重组胚胎移植于本地水牛、杂交水牛的子宫内,观察不同发情方式、胚胎类型、胚龄及季节对移植受孕的影响。结果表明:水牛的克隆胚胎妊娠率较低,分别为12.05%、12.04%、13.95%。自然发情和同期发情对克隆胚胎移植受胎率的影响差异不显著;鲜胚胎移植186头,受胎22头,受胎率为11.83%(22/186);冻胚胎移植174头,受胎23头,受胎率为13.22%(23/174)。克隆水牛从出生至12月龄体尺增长明显高于本地水牛;水牛克隆胚胎移植受胎在秋季最好,秋季受胎数占全年的53.33%,显著高于其他季节。     

Supplement of autologous ooplasm into porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos does not alter embryo development

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is considered as the technique in which a somatic cell is introduced into an enucleated oocyte to make a cloned animal. However, it is unavoidable to lose a small amount of the ooplasm during enucleation step during SCNT procedure. The present study was aimed to uncover whether the supplement of autologous ooplasm could ameliorate the oocyte competence so as to improve low efficiency of embryo development in porcine SCNT. Autologous ooplasm‐transferred (AOT) embryos were generated by the supplementation with autologous ooplasm into SCNT embryos. They were comparatively evaluated with respect to embryo developmental potential, the number of apoptotic body formation and gene expression including embryonic lineage differentiation, apoptosis, epigenetics and mitochondrial activity in comparison with parthenogenetic, in vitro‐fertilized (IVF) and SCNT embryos. Although AOT embryos showed perfect fusion of autologous donor ooplasm with recipient SCNT embryos, the supplement of autologous ooplasm could not ameliorate embryo developmental potential in regard to the rate of blastocyst formation, total cell number and the number of apoptotic body. Furthermore, overall gene expression of AOT embryos was presented with no significant alterations in comparison with that of SCNT embryos. Taken together, the results of AOT demonstrated inability to make relevant values improved from the level of SCNT embryos to their IVF counterparts.     

Optimization of parthenogenetic activation of rabbit oocytes and development of rabbit embryo by somatic cell nuclear transfer

The present study explored a suitable parthenogenetic activation (PA) procedure for rabbit oocytes and investigated the developmental potential of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos using rabbit foetal fibroblasts (RFFs). The electrical activation had the optimal rate of blastocyst (14.06%) when oocytes were activated by three direct current (DC) pulses (40 V/mm, 20 μs each) followed by 6‐dimethylaminopurine (6‐DMAP) and cycloheximide (CHX) treatment; the blastocyst rate of ionomycin (ION) + 6‐DMAP + CHX (12.07%) activation was higher than that of ION + 6‐DMAP (8.6%) activation or ION + CHX (1.24%) activation; there was no significant difference in blastocyst rate between ION + 6‐DMAP + CHX and DC + 6‐DMAP + CHX groups. The blastocyst rate of ION + 6‐DMAP + CHX‐activated oocytes in the basic rabbit culture medium (M‐199) + 10% foetal bovine serum (FBS; 14.28%) was higher than that in buffalo conditioned medium (5.75%) or G1/G2 medium (0), and the blastocyst rate was increased when M‐199 + 10% FBS was supplemented with amino acids. Refreshing culture medium every day or every other day significantly increased the blastocyst rate. Treatment of donor cells with 0.5% FBS for 3–5 days increased blastocyst rate of SCNT embryos (33.33%) than no serum starvation (22.47%) or 0.5% FBS treatment for 6–9 days (23.61%); the blastocyst rate of SCNT embryos derived from nontransgenic RFFs was higher than that derived from transgenic RFFs by electroporation. The blastocyst development ability of SCNT embryos derived from RFFs by electroporation (32.22%) was higher than that of liposome (19.11%) or calcium phosphate (20.00%) transfection, and only the embryos from electroporation group have the EGFP expression (24.44%). In conclusion, this study for the first time systematically optimized the conditions for yield of rabbit embryo by SCNT.     

水牛体细胞连续核移植的效果

为探讨水牛体细胞连续核移植的效果,以水牛胎儿成纤维细胞为核供体,进行了水牛体细胞连续核移植。结果显示,连续核移植的融合率显著高于原代核移植(87.9%vs76.2%,P<0.05),但两者之间的分裂率和囊胚率没有显著差异(P>0.05);这说明水牛体细胞核移植胚胎可被再次克隆而不降低其发育能力,水牛体细胞连续核移植是可行的。     

The effects of canthaxanthin on porcine oocyte maturation and embryo development in vitro after parthenogenetic activation and somatic cell nuclear transfer

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of canthaxanthin (Cx) treatment during in vitro maturation (IVM) of porcine oocytes on embryonic development after parthenogenetic activation (PA) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), on intracellular glutathione (GSH) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in mature oocytes, and on gene expression in both PA‐ and SCNT‐derived blastocysts. To determine the optimal effective concentration of Cx, porcine oocytes were cultured in IVM medium supplemented with various concentrations (0, 20, 40 and 80 μM) of Cx for 22 hr. Compared to other groups, supplementation with 40 μM Cx significantly improved blastocyst formation rates after PA (p < .05), but no significant differences were observed among groups in total blastocyst cell numbers. Subsequently, oocytes were cultured in IVM medium supplemented with or without 40 μM Cx. Oocytes treated with 40 μM Cx showed significantly increased cleavage and blastocyst formation rates after SCNT compared to the control group (p < .05). Moreover, significantly increased intracellular GSH and reduced ROS levels were observed in the Cx‐treated group (p < .05). In addition, both PA‐ and SCNT‐derived blastocysts from the 40 μM Cx‐treated group showed significantly increased mRNA expression of Bcl2 and Oct4 and decreased Caspase3 expression level (p < .05), when compared with the control group. PA‐derived blastocysts from the 40 μM Cx‐treated group also exhibited significantly decreased expression of Bax (p < .05). Our results demonstrated that treatment with 40 μM Cx during IVM improves the developmental competence of PA and SCNT embryos. Improvement of embryo development by Cx is most likely due to increased intracellular GSH synthesis, which reduces ROS levels in oocytes, and it may also positively regulate apoptosis‐ and development‐related genes.