Effect of Transgene Introduction and Recloning on Efficiency of Porcine Transgenic Cloned Embryo Production In Vitro

Retrovirus-mediated exogenous gene transfection of somatic cells is an efficient method to produce transgenic embryos by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). This study evaluated whether efficiency of transgenic embryos production, by SCNT using fibroblast cells transfected by retrovirus vector, is influenced by the introduced transgene and whether recloning could further improve its efficiency. Transgenic cloned embryos were produced by SCNT of porcine foetal fibroblast cells transfected by either LNβ-Z or LNβ-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) retrovirus vector and evaluated for their developmental ability in vitro . Blastomeres from four-cell stage porcine embryos, produced by SCNT of foetal fibroblast cells transfected with LNβ-EGFP retroviral vector, were subsequently recloned into enucleated metaphase II oocytes and evaluated for changes in chromatin configuration, in vitro embryo development and gene expression. Analysis of results showed that cleavage and blastocyst rates of porcine SCNT embryos, using LacZ (53.6 ± 6.4%; 12.0 ± 5.7%) or EGFP (57.5 ± 6.3%; 10.1 ± 4.1%) transfected fibroblasts, did not differ (p > 0.05) from those of non-transfected controls (60.9 ± 8.2%; 12.3 ± 4.0%). Recloning of blastomeres did not further improve the in vitro development rate. Interestingly, the nuclei of blastomere underwent slower remodelling process than somatic cell nuclei. Both cloned and recloned embryos showed 100% transgene expression and there were no evidence of mosaicism. In conclusion, our data shows that the efficiency of transgenic cloned embryos production by SCNT of somatic cells transfected with replication-defective retrovirus vector is not influenced by the transgene introduction into donor cells and recloning of four-cell stage blastomere could not further improve its efficiency.     

携带抗口蹄疫病毒ScFv基因猪成纤维细胞系的建立

根据口蹄疫病毒的感染特征及其在临床发病过程中呈现的症状,筛选抗口蹄疫病毒单链抗体基因。通过EcoRⅠ/NotⅠ双酶切中间质粒pGEX-ScFv获得单链抗体基因片段,并克隆至反转录病毒载体质粒pFB-neo,构建反转录病毒穿梭载体质粒pFB-ScFv。将pFB-ScFv与辅助质粒pVPack-GP、pVPack-10A1共转染HEK293T细胞,包装重组反转录病毒MMLV-ScFv。同时,构建含增强型绿色荧光蛋白基因的重组反转录病毒MMLV-EGFP作为对照。利用所包装重组反转录病毒感染猪成纤维细胞,通过G418筛选获得携带目的基因的单克隆细胞集落。试验结果表明,本试验在成功构建反转录病毒穿梭载体pFB-ScFv和pFB-EGFP的基础上,获得了分别携带抗口蹄疫病毒单链抗体基因和增强型绿色荧光蛋白基因的反转录病毒,并最终筛选出分别携带上述基因的猪成纤维细胞克隆,为抗口蹄疫病毒转基因动物的研究奠定了基础。     

Establishment and Application of Nested PCR Method for Detecting Mutation in Single Cell

Gene mutation detection in single cell is a new method used for DNA or RNA analysis based on single cell lysis products,the establishment of this technology will provide an easy and quick way for gene expression and mutation detection in single cell level.In this paper,pig 4-cell-stage parthenogenetic embryos microinjected with Cas9 mRNA and 2 target gRNA from pig SS gene were used as experimental material,and two pairs of nested primers were designed for nested PCR.Using this detection method,long fragment deletion in SS gene was detected.This method can minimize the occurrence of false negative and false positive results,which may play an important role in the pig gene mutation detection.     

应用巢式PCR法检测猪单个胚胎中的基因突变

单胚胎基因突变检测技术是以单个胚胎的裂解产物为模板进行DNA或RNA分析的方法,该技术的建立将为在单细胞水平进行基因表达和突变检测提供简便而快捷的方法。本研究设计了2对巢式引物,以显微注射了Cas9 mRNA和猪SS基因2个靶点的gRNA的四细胞期孤雌胚胎为试验材料,通过蛋白酶K对猪单个胚胎进行裂解后直接进行巢式PCR分型,并检测到猪胚胎中SS基因的删除突变。该方法可以最大限度减少假阴性和假阳性结果的出现,在猪基因突变检测中具有重要作用。     

Establishment of a LacZ marker rescue assay to detect infectious RD114 virus

Cats have an infectious endogenous retrovirus, named RD114 virus, and there is a possibility that RD114 virus has contaminated live attenuated vaccines, for which feline cells are used as a substrate. To monitor infectious RD114 virus in vaccines for cats, we developed a LacZ marker rescue assay to detect infectious RD114 virus. Among four human cell lines examined, TE671 cells (human rhabdomyosarcoma) were most susceptible to RD114 virus and supported RD114 replication efficiently. Infection was enhanced approximately 5 times by the addition of polybrene at concentrations of 2 to 8 microg/ml in the medium during viral adsorption. A 4-hr viral adsorption period was sufficient to obtain the maximum titer. By inoculating samples into TE671 cells transduced with the lacZ marker gene, the limiting diluted sample (i.e., less than 10 infectious units) was detected at 12 days post-inoculation by the LacZ marker rescue assay. Based on the results obtained in this study, we propose a standard protocol of the LacZ marker rescue assay to detect infectious RD114 virus.     

重组逆转录病毒介导的neo~R基因在公鼠生殖系细胞的转移

将感染滴度为 10 6cfu/ m L、携带新霉素磷酸转移酶 (neo R)基因的重组逆转录病毒与台盼蓝、polybrene按一定比例配制成注射液 ,单侧睾丸注入 14～ 16日龄公鼠曲细精管以体内感染精原干细胞 ,进行重组逆转录病毒 -精原干细胞介导的基因转移研究。注射后 45 d,采集公鼠精液 ,进行精液品质与 PCR检测。结果表明 ,在优化的注射条件下 ,曲细精管内注射重组逆转录病毒后 ,不会干扰小鼠精子的正常发育能力 ,并能够将外源基因整合到精子基因组 ,从而首次通过重组逆转录病毒成功地实现了 neo R基因在公鼠生殖系细胞的转移     

Effect of soft X-ray irradiation on the migratory ability of primordial germ cells in chickens

1. The present study was conducted to elucidate the effect of soft X-ray irradiation on the migratory ability of primordial germ cells (PGCs) to the germinal ridges of chicken embryos. 2. PGCs (Barred Plymouth Rock, BPR) were isolated from embryonic blood and irradiated with soft X-rays for 1-10 min. Then, the PGCs were transfected in vitro with GFP gene by lipofection. The manipulated PGCs were transferred to recipient embryos (White Leghorn, WL) and migration to the germinal ridges was analysed by examining GFP gene expression in the gonads of recipient embryos under UV light at x40 magnifications. The expression of GFP gene was detected in all the gonads of recipient embryos examined up to 10.5 d of culture. 3. Migration of PGCs irradiated with soft X-rays to the germinal ridges was also confirmed by detecting a single nucleotide polymorphism in the D-loop region of the mitochondrial DNA of BPR and WL chickens. Freshly collected PGCs (BPR) were transferred to the bloodstream of recipient embryos (WL). The fate of the transferred donor PGCs was traced by detecting the single nucleotide polymorphism in the D-loop region of the mitochondrial DNA in BPR and WL used in this study. Transferred donor PGC-derived cells were detected in all the gonads of 17-d cultured embryos by PCR. 4. The results suggest that PGCs irradiated with soft X-rays still retain the ability to migrate to the germinal ridges of recipient embryos.     

兔早期胚胎PCR性别鉴定体系的建立

根据兔SRY基因序列设计两对引物作为兔雄性特异性引物,根据兔APP基因序列设计1对引物作为内标引物,分别建立了兔早期胚胎性别鉴定的双重PCR和巢式PCR反应体系,在不同浓度的基因组DNA和兔早期胚胎上进行性别鉴定应用,同时,对兔SRY巢式PCR引物特异性进行了分析。结果表明,多重PCR扩增兔基因组DNA可以准确判定其性别,扩增灵敏度为100pg基因组DNA;多重PCR鉴定24枚兔32细胞桑椹胚性别,只能对整胚成功鉴定。巢式PCR,公兔基因组DNA扩增出282bp的SRY基因片段,母兔没有扩增产物,扩增灵敏度为10pg;对24枚兔32细胞桑椹胚性别鉴定结果表明,巢式PCR可以对少至4个胚胎细胞进行准确鉴定,同一胚胎结果符合率为100%(24/24)。SRY引物只对兔雄性基因组DNA特异,而其他动物(人、牛、绵羊、小鼠)雄性DNA及兔的冲卵液,均无PCR产物。     

Production of transgenic bovine cloned embryos using piggybac transposition

Transgenic research on cattle embryos has been developed to date using viral or plasmid DNA delivery systems. In this study, a different gene delivery system, piggybac transposition, was employed to investigate if it can be applied for producing transgenic cattle embryos. Green or red fluorescent proteins (GFP or RFP) were transfected into donor fibroblasts, and then transfected donor cells were reprogrammed in enucleated oocytes through SCNT and developed into pre-implantation stage embryos. GFP was expressed in donor cells and in cloned embryos without any mosaicism. Induction of RFP expression was regulated by doxycycline treatment in donor fibroblasts and pre-implantational stage embryos. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that piggybac transposition could be a mean to deliver genes into bovine somatic cells or embryos for transgenic research.     

绵羊肺腺瘤病毒实时荧光定量PCR检测方法的建立

为建立检测绵羊肺腺瘤病毒(Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus,JSRV)实时荧光定量PCR(Real-time qPCR)方法,根据外源性JSRV-NM株env基因序列,选其保守序列作为目的片段,设计引物和TaqMan探针,以自然病例的肺肿瘤组织基因组DNA为模板,经PCR扩增目的基因、克隆,重组质粒鉴定,并严格定量后,梯度稀释作为阳性标准品,优化反应条件进行Real-time qPCR扩增,获得的标准曲线为:Y=-3.308X+47.848,线性相关系数为0.991;Ct值变异系数小,并且灵敏度高,初步建立了检测JSRV前病毒DNA的Real-time qPCR方法。应用该方法对不同来源(A、B、C、D、E组)的绵羊外周血及其他组织样品进行测定其前病毒载量。结果显示B组和C组外周血白细胞、肺脏、肺门淋巴结以及鼻液中检测均为阳性,并发现前病毒DNA的载量在肺脏中明显高于外周血白细胞;D组虽未发现有绵羊肺腺瘤(SPA)临床症状,但在肺门淋巴结里可以检测到;E组中1只绵羊的肺脏也检出低拷贝数的前病毒DNA,而在A组中检测结果均为阴性。本研究对检测未知羊群JSRV感染程度及研究SPA流行病学等均有重要意义。     

Efficient Transgene Expression in IVF and Parthenogenetic Bovine Embryos by Intracytoplasmic Injection of DNA–Liposome Complexes

Transgenic animals constitute an important tool with many biotechnological applications. Although there have been advances in this field, we propose a novel method that may greatly increase the efficiency of transgenic animal production and thereby its application. This new technique consists of intracytoplasmic injection of liposomes, in bovine oocytes and zygotes, to introduce exogenous DNA. In the first experiment, we evaluated embryo development and EGFP expression in In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) embryos injected with different concentrations of exogenous DNA–liposome complexes (0.5, 5, 50, 500 ng pCX‐EGFP/μl). The highest EGFP‐embryos rates were obtained using 500 ng pCX‐EGFP/μl. In the second experiment, we evaluated embryo development and EGFP expression following the injection of DNA–liposome complexes into pre‐fertilized oocytes and presumptive zygotes, 16 and 24 h post‐fertilization. Approximately 70% of the cleaved embryos and 50% of the blastocysts expressed EGFP, when egfp–liposome was injected 16 h post‐fertilization. The percentages of positive embryos for the 24‐h post‐fertilization and pre‐fertilization groups were 30.1 and 6.3, respectively. Blastocysts that developed from injected zygotes were analysed by PCR, confirming the presence of transgene in all embryos. Finally, we examined the embryo development and EGFP expression of parthenogenetic embryos that resulted from the injection of egfp–liposome complexes into pre‐activated oocytes, and 3 and 11 h post‐activated oocytes. The group with the highest expression rate (48.4%) was the one injected 3 h post‐activation. In summary, this study reports the efficient, reproducible and fast production of IVF and parthenogenetic embryos expressing EGFP, by the intracytoplasmic injection of liposomes to introduce the foreign DNA.     

Mycoplasma meleagridis-induced lesions in the tarsometatarsal joints of turkey embryos

Mycoplasma meleagridis (MM) has the ability to cause bone deformity in turkey poults. However, few pathological lesions have been described and no evidence of MM-induced damage to the bones has been shown. In this study, 17-day-old turkey embryos were inoculated with MM into the allantoic cavity. On the 27th day, eight of the 22 embryos presented with curved toes. Scanning electron microscopy of the tarsometatarsal joints showed fissures in the cartilage. Histological sections of the joints revealed only the infiltration of cells with eosinophilic granules. Immunohistochemical staining (IHS) showed the presence of MM in the aggregates of the bone marrow cells and the cells with eosinophilic granules. Some of these cells were harvested by laser capture microdissection (LCM), lysed, and used as template DNA. With a pair of MM-specific primers in a conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a gene product was amplified, and it comigrated with the MM DNA, which indicates that these captured cells contained MM DNA. Thus, this research shows that inoculation of MM into the turkey embryos produced joint lesions and caused cellular infiltration within the bones.     

Detection of the EGFP sequence in breast muscle of 3‐year‐old chicken after transfection using sonoporation

In our continuing effort to generate transgenic chickens, sonoporation was chosen to insert an exogenous gene into the chicken genome. An EGFP expression vector (pCAG‐EGFPac) and microbubbles were injected into the central disc of stage‐X blastoderm or the germinal crescent of stage‐4 embryos, followed by ultrasonic vibration. Nineteen chicks out of 108 treated embryos hatched, six females and six males out of these 19 chicks grew to sexual maturity and two females and three males lived for 3 years. Genomic DNA from 17 out of 35 gonads from embryos and chicks that died before sexual maturity was EGFP‐positive by PCR. No EGFP sequence was detected in the genomic DNA of 322 embryos from six sexually mature females and the semen from four sexually mature males by PCR. When genomic DNA was obtained from various tissues of five 3‐year‐old chickens, the EGFP sequence was amplified from the genomic DNA of the breast muscle of a female (No. 85). The above sequence was subjected to DNA sequencing and verified to be the EGFP sequence. These results showed that sonoporation is an effective tool for the transduction of exogenous genes into chicken embryos for the generation of transgenic chickens.     

Production of quail-chick chimaeras by blastoderm cell transfer

1. Quail-chick chimaeras were produced by injecting dissociated quail blastoderm cells into chick embryos. 2. Quail blastoderms were removed from the yolk and the cells were dispersed by trypsin treatment or pipetting. The cell suspension (1 to 5 microliters) was injected into the subgerminal cavity of unincubated chick embryos. The chick embryos were then cultured in recipient eggshells. 3. Quail blastoderm cells injected into the chick embryos adhered to the chick embryonic cells. The rates of hatching were 8.6% (38 chicks from 441 eggs) and 40.3% (48 chicks from 119 eggs) when the volumes of the cell suspension injected were 3 to 5 microliters and 1 microliter, respectively. 4. Seven out of 86 hatched birds were clearly identified as being chimaeric because part of the feather colouring was of quail specificity. In addition to these chimaeric birds, there were 8 chimaeric embryos which died before hatching. The distribution patterns of the quail feathers were varied among the chimaeric birds and embryos. 5. This technique provides a basis for the investigation of chick embryo cryopreservation, genetic transformation and analysis of cell lineage of chickens.     

Genetic diagnosis of claudin-16 deficiency and sex determination in bovine preimplantation embryos

Renal tubular dysplasia is an autosomal recessively inherited disorder in Japanese black cattle that is due to deletion mutations in the claudin-16 gene and causes chronic renal failure and death of affected animals. Here, we report a multiplex-PCR procedure to determine the genotype for claudin-16 deficiency in preimplantation embryos. The presence or absence of the wild-type and mutant allele(s) was precisely detected with the multiplex-PCR using as little as 5 pg of genomic DNA from leukocytes. When biopsied embryo cells were examined for claudin-16 deficiency, 97.2% of genotypes were consistent with the PCR results obtained for the corresponding embryos. In addition, sexing of embryos by PCR was performed using an aliquot of DNA extracted from biopsied embryo cells, and determination of claudin-16 genotype and sex was successfully achieved with an efficiency of 91.7% for claudin-16 genotyping and 83.3% for sexing. The production of a 100-day fetus that was male and homozygous for claudin-16 deficiency, as expected from the analysis of biopsied embryo cells, gave evidence of the reliability and applicability of this procedure for preventing the transmission of this disease and for enabling advances in animal breeding.     

Manipulations of germ‐cell populations in the gonad of the fowl

1. Embryos of the domestic fowl have been partially sterilised by injecting the drug busulphan into 24‐h incubated eggs.

2. Some of these embryos were injected with primordial germ cells (PGCs) after 55 h of incubation to attempt to repopulate the gonads.

3. Primordial germ cells transfected with a defective retrovirus containing the reporter gene lac Z were shown to settle in these sterilised gonads.

4. Quantitative histology of 6‐d embryos showed that busulphan produced 75% sterilisation but that PGCs could repopulate these gonads.

5. The technique of producing such germ line chimaeras is of value in studying cell kinetics, gonad differentiation and the production of transgenics.     

DNA methylation status of bovine blastocyst embryos obtained from various procedures

DNA methylation is an important factor for the regulation of gene expression in early embryos. It is well known that the satellite I sequence is more heavily methylated in bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer (NT-SC) embryos than in embryos derived from in vitro fertilization (IVF). However, the methylation status of bovine embryos obtained by other procedures is not well known. To clarify DNA methylation levels of bovine embryos obtained from various procedures, we examined satellite I sequences in bovine blastocyst (BC) embryos derived from NT-SC, NT using embryonic blastomeres (NT-EM), in vivo (Vivo), IVF and parthenogenetic treatment (PA). Furthermore, in order to evaluate the efficacy of DNA demethylation by the NT procedure, we determined the DNA methylation levels in bovine embryos in which NT was recapitulated (Re-NT). Although the DNA methylation levels in the NT-SC embryos were higher than those in the other embryos, the NT-EM embryos exhibited lower DNA methylation levels. The satellite I sequence in the NT-SC embryos was more demethylated than that in the donor cells. Although the DNA methylation level in the individual NT-SC embryos showed variation, the full-term developmental efficacy of these embryos were not different. These findings suggest that the methylation level of the satellite I sequence at the BC stage is not related to the abnormalities of bovine embryos produced by NT-SC. There was no difference in methylation levels between Re-NT and NT-SC embryos. Our results indicated that the DNA methylation status differed among embryos produced by various methods and that at least some of the demethylation of the donor cell genome occurred in the recipient cytoplast after NT-SC, but the demethylation ability of the NT procedure was noted in the first NT but not in the second NT.     

Effects of synchronization of donor cell cycle on embryonic development and DNA synthesis in porcine nuclear transfer embryos

The relationship between donor cell cycle and the developmental ability of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos has not fully been elucidated. Donor cells that are usually prepared by serum starvation or confluent-cell culture for SCNT represent a heterogeneous population that includes mainly G0 phase cells, other cells in different phases of the cell cycle and apoptotic cells. In this study, we compared the developmental ability of porcine SCNT embryos reconstructed from G0 phase cells (G0-SCNT embryos) and strictly synchronized-G1 phase cells (G1-SCNT embryos), and examined the developmental rates and timing of first DNA synthesis. The G0 phase cells were synchronized by confluent culture, and the G1 phase cells were prepared from actively dividing M phase cells. The G1-SCNT embryos showed a significantly higher (P<0.05) developmental rate to the blastocyst stage per cleaved embryo (59%) than the G0-SCNT embryos (43%). Moreover, initiation of first DNA synthesis and cleavage occurred significantly earlier in the G1-SCNT embryos than in the G0-SCNT embryos. Delay of initiation of first DNA synthesis in the SCNT embryos by aphidicolin resulted in decreased developmental rates to the blastocyst stage without any effect on cleavage rates. Our data demonstrates that synchronized-G1 phase cells can be used as donor cells for SCNT embryos and that earlier initiation of first DNA synthesis may be important for subsequent development of SCNT embryos. The SCNT system using G1-synchronized cells, in terms of their highly uniform and viable cell states, can be useful for studying the reprogramming processes and embryonic development of SCNT embryos.     

Liposome-mediated uptake of exogenous DNA by equine spermatozoa and applications in sperm-mediated gene transfer

REASON FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Sperm-mediated gene transfer has been reported as a method for production of transgenic animals in a variety of species, and this technique represents a possible method for production of transgenic equids. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the uptake of exogenous DNA (enhanced green fluorescent protein; pEGFP) by equine spermatozoa and to assess the ability of transfected spermatozoa to introduce this transgene into early equine embryos. METHODS: To evaluate incorporation of pEGFP into equine spermatozoa, washed spermatozoa were incubated with 32P-pEGFP, with or without lipofection. Spermatozoa were also transfected with fluorescently-labelled DNA (Alexa647-pEGFP) and changes in sperm viability and DNA uptake were assessed. Mares were inseminated with pEGFP-transfected spermatozoa and embryos recovered. Expression of pEGFP was assessed by epifluorescence microscopy of embryos, and the presence of pEGFP DNA and mRNA was assessed by PCR and RT-PCR, respectively. RESULTS: Liposome-mediated transfection increased the incorporation of 32P-pEGFP into spermatozoa compared to controls. Flow cytometric evaluation of spermatozoa after transfection with Alexa647-pEGFP revealed a linear increase in the proportion of live, Alexa647+ spermatozoa with increasing DNA concentrations. After insemination with transfected spermatozoa, 8 embryos were recovered. There was no evidence of EGFP expression in the recovered embryos; however, PCR analysis revealed evidence of the pEGFP transgene in 2 of 5 embryos analysed. CONCLUSIONS: The incorporation of exogenous DNA by equine spermatozoa was enhanced by liposome-mediated transfection and this did not adversely affect sperm viability, acrosomal integrity or fertility. Although the EGFP transgene was detected in a proportion of Day 7-10 embryos, there was no evidence of expression of EGFP in these embryos. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: Sperm-mediated gene transfer offers a potential technique for the generation of transgenic equids.