• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.377-384
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• 2002

To investigate the expression patterns of proteins and growth factor signals in differentiated rabbit embryonic stem (ES) cells, ES cells with confluent stage grown of feeder layer and differentiated cells into embryoid bodies (EB) without feeder cell were applied to protein gel and Western blotting analysis. There were 66kDa and 28kDa specifically expressed in differentiated ES cell but not in undifferentiated ES cell while 25kDa protein band showed up in only undifferentiated ES cells. Also there were some difference of protein bands in several area of gel between differentiated and undifferentiated ES cells such as about 100 kDa, 50kDa and 27kDa areas, but there was no difference in band pattern of one-dimensional gel analysis between mouse ES cells and rabbit ES cells. IGF-I receptor and EGF receptor were expressed in differentiated cells and undifferentiated cells. And ICF-I and EGF were not expressed in both differentiated and undifferentiated cells. These results indicated that ES cells express their own proteins to inhibit differentiation while EB cells synthesize different proteins to differentiate, and 16F-I receptor and EGF receptor were expressed in both ES and EB cells probably for the different functions.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.358-367
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• 2008

The embryonic germ cell (EGCs) of mice is a kind of pluripotent stem cell that can be generated from pre- and post-migratory primordial germ cells (PGCs). Most previous studies on DNA methylation of EGCs were restricted to 12.5 days post coitum (dpc). This study was designed to establish and characterize murine EGC lines from migrated PGCs as late as 13.5 dpc and to estimate the degrees of methylation of their imprinted genes as well as of the non-imprinted locus, Oct4, using an accurate and quantitative method of measurement. We established five independent EGC lines from post migratory PGCs of 11.5-13.5 dpc from C57BL/6 ${\times}$ DBA/2 F1 hybrid mouse fetuses. All the EGCs exhibited the typical features of pluripotent cells including hypomethylation of the Oct4 regulatory region. We examined the methylation status of three imprinted genes; Igf2, Igf2r and H19 in the five EGC lines using bisulfite genomic sequencing analysis. Igf2r was almost unmethylated in all the EGC lines irrespective of the their sex and stage of isolation; Igf2 and H19 were more methylated than Igf2r, especially in male EGCs. Moreover, EGCs derived at 13.5 dpc exhibited higher levels of DNA methylation than those from earlier stages. These results suggest that in vitro derived EGCs acquire different epigenotypes from their parental in vivo migratory PGCs, and that sex-specific de novo methylation occurs in the Igf2 and H19 genes of EGCs.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.63 no.1
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• pp.3.1-3.9
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• 2023

The efficiency of somatic cell nuclear transfer (NT) in pigs is low and requires enhancement. We identified the most efficient method for zona pellucida (ZP) removal and blastomere aggregation in pigs and investigated whether the aggregation of NT and parthenogenetic activation (PA) of blastomeres could reduce embryonic apoptosis and improve the quality of NT-derived embryos by investigating. Embryonic developmental competence after ZP removal using acid Tyrode's solution or protease (pronase E). The embryonic developmental potential of NT-derived blastomeres was also investigated using well-of-the-well or phytohemagglutinin-L. We analyzed apoptosis in aggregate-derived blastocysts. The aggregation rate of protease-treated embryos was lower than that of Tyrode's solution-treated embryos (69.2% vs. 88.3%). No significant difference was observed between phytohemagglutinin-L and well-of-the-well (35.7%-38.5%). However, 2P1N showed a higher number of blastocysts compared to 3N (73.8% vs. 24.3%) and an increased blastocyst diameter compared to the control and 1P2N (274 ㎛ vs. 230-234 ㎛). In blastomeres aggregated using phytohemagglutinin-L, the apoptotic cell ratio was significantly higher in 1P2N and 3N than in 3P (5.91%-6.46% vs. 2.94%, respectively). Our results indicate that aggregation of one NT embryo with two PA embryos improved the rate of blastocysts with increased blastocyst diameter.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.279-285
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• 2006

Vitrification has been suggested to be an effective method for the cryopreservation of human ES cells. However, the efficiency of vitrification with different vehicles remains a matter of ongoing controversy. The objective of this study was to assess the efficiency of cryopreservation in human ES cells by vitrification using different vehicles. A human ES cell line and a variety of vehicles, including micro-droplet (MD), open-pulled straw (OPS) and electron microscopic grid (EM-grid), were employed in an attempt to assess vitrification efficiency. In order to evaluate the survivability and the undifferentiated state of the post-vitrified human ES cells, we conducted alkaline phosphatase staining and characterization via both RT-PCR and immunofluorescence assays. The survival rates of the post-vitrified human ES cells using MD, OPS and EM-grid were determined to be 61.5%, 66.6% and 53.8%, respectively. There also exist significant differences between slow-freezing and vitrification (p<0.01). However, no significant differences were detected between the vehicle types. Finally, the pluripotency of human ES cells after thawing was verified by teratoma formation. Cryopreservation using vitrification is more effective than slow-freezing, and the efficiency of vehicles proved effective with regard to the preservation of human ES cells.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.299-307
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• 1995

The goal of cell stem cell technology is to produce a viable and genetically normal animal. To achieve this goal various laboratories have followed 2 different pathways beginning with either the culture of 1) single or pooled ICMs grown with or without a feeder layer or 2) single or pooled 16-20 cell stage embryos grown with a feeder layer. Also, thus far embryonic cell cultures or lines have been established by several methods including loose suspension culture for short-term cultures and more commonly murine or bovine fibroblast feeder layers for long-term culture. Pluripotent lines have been derived from 16-cell through blastocyst inner cell mass stages. The efficiency of establishing cell lines and cell proliferation apper to be affected by the number of cells or embryos starting the line. Most attempts to produce offspring from long term STO cell feeder layer cultured ICM or morulae derived ES cells have resulted in pregnancy failure in the first trimester when ES cells were used in cuclear transfer or have failed to retain ES cells in the progeny produced by chimerization. The exception is 1 chimeric fetus from use of morula ES cells in the chimerization with early embryonic cells. There is much to be learned yet about ES cell culture requirements for maintenance of totipotency. If bovine ES cell lines loose imprinting pattern and totipotency with long-term culture and passage as suggested for mouse ES cells, we may be limited to the use of short-term cultures for multiplication of embryos and efficient production of transgenic animals. No bovine ES cell system has yet met all of the criteria indicated for a totipotent ES cell line.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.247-252
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• 2004

Human embryonic stem (ES) cells are derived from the inner cell mass of the preimplantation embryo. Human ES cells have the capacity to differentiate into various types of cells in the body. Human ES cells are indefinite source of cells for cell therapy in various degenerative disorders including neuronal disorders. Directed differentiation of human ES cells is a prerequisite for their clinical application. The objective of this study is to develop the culture condition for the derivation of neural precursor cells from human ES cells. Neural precursor cells were derived from human ES cells in a stepwise culture condition. Neural precursor cells in the form of neural rosette structures developed into neurospheres when cultured in suspension. Suspension culture of neurospheres has been maintained over 4 months. Expressions of nestin, soxl, sox2, pax3 and pax6 transcripts were upregulated during differentiation into neural precursor cells by RT-PCR analysis. In contrast, expression of oct4 was dramatically downregulated in neural precursor cells. Immunocytochemical analyses of neural precursor cells demonstrated expression of nestin and SOX1. When induced to differentiate on an adhesive substrate, neuro-spheres were able to differentiate into three lineages of neural systems, including neurons, astrocytes and oligo-dendrocytes. Transcripts of sox1 and pax6 were downregulated during differentiation of neural precursor cells into neurons. In contrast, expression of map2ab was elevated in the differentiated cells, relative to those in neural precursor cells. Neurons derived from neural precursor cells expressed NCAM, Tuj1, MAP2ab, NeuN and NF200 in immunocytochemical analyses. Presence of astrocytes was confirmed by expression of GFAP immuno-cytochemically. Oligodendrocytes were also observed by positive immuno-reactivities against oligodendrocyte marker O1. Results of this study demonstrate that a stepwise culture condition is developed for the derivation of neural precursor cells from human ES cells.

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.68-69
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• 2004

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.114-114
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• 2001

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.191-201
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• 1995

Transcriptional activation of the embryonic genome initiates at 2-cell stage in mouse embryo and is characterized by the synthesis of TRC which is restricted to 2-cell stage. To investigate the roles of various protein kinases on the embryonic gene activation, the effects of protein kinase inhibitors on in vitro development and protein synthetic profiles of the early mouse embryos were examinded. None of ${\alpna}-amanitin$ which is a mRNA synthetic inhibitor, H8 which is a PKA inhibitor, and H7 which is a PKC inhibitor, affected on first cleavage of mouse 1-cell embryos in vitro. However, all of these drugs inhibited the second cleavage. When the drugs were removed following treatment for 6 hours, H8 or H7 treatment showed little inhibition on subsequent development of 1-cell embryos to 2-cell stage or further. In contrast, ${\alpna}-amanitin$ irreversibly inhibited the development of 1-cell embryos to 2-cell stage following removal of the drug. Genistein, a TPK inhibitor, inhibited both the first cleavage of 1-cell embryos and the second cleavage of 2-cell embryos, suggesting that TPK activity may be important during the early cleavages. All of the above four drugs inhibited TRC synthesis as shown by the fluorographic analysis of $[^{35}S]-Met$ labeled protein profiles. When late 1-cell embryos were treated with H7 and analyzed synthetic patterns of $[^{35}S]-Met$ labeled protein, the quantitative differences of protein synthesis on SDS-PAGE appeared on 77 kD and 33 kD region at $32{\sim}38$ hours post hCG. From these studies, transcriptional activation of embryonic genome is not essenting to the mouse 1-cell embryos to develop to 2-cell stage. Hawever, TPK activity is reguisite for both the first cleavage and second cleavage. Similarly, both PKC and PKA activities are required for the second cleavage of mouse embryos, but not for the first cleavage.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.200.2-201
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• 2003

The effect of 15-deoxy-PGJ$_2$ on the differentiation of embryonic midbrain cells into dopaminergic neuronal cells, and the relationship between cell differentiation with activation of PPAR-yand possible signal pathway were investigated, 15-Deoxy-PGJ$_2$ increased neurite extension, a typical characteristics of the differentiation of embryonic midbrain cells isolated from 12 day's rat embryos in a dose-dependent manner. (omitted)