• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.693-699
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• 2010

Imprinted genes are essential for fetal development, growth regulation, and postnatal behavior. However, little is known about imprinted genes in livestock. We hypothesized that certain putatively imprinted genes affected normal peri-implantation development such as embryo elongation, initial placental development, and preparation of implantation. The objective of the present study was to investigate the mRNA expression patterns of several putatively imprinted genes during the porcine peri-implantation stages from day 6 to day 21 of gestation. Imprinted genes were selected both maternally (Dlk1, IGF2, Ndn, and Sgce) and paternally (IGF2r, H19, Gnas and Xist). Here, we report that the maternally imprinted gene IGF2 was expressed from day 6 (Blastocyst stage), but Dlk1, Ndn, and Sgce were not expressed in this stage. These genes were first expressed between days 12 and day 14. All the maternally imprinted genes studied showed significantly high expression patterns from day 18 of embryo development. In contrast, paternally imprinted genes IGF2r, H19, Gnas, and Xist were first expressed from day 6 of embryo development (BL). Our data demonstrated that the expression of H19 and Gnas genes was significantly increased from day 14 of the embryo developmental stage, while IGF2r and Xist only showed high expression after day 21. This study is the first to show that the putatively imprinted genes were stage-specific during porcine embryonic development. These results demonstrate that the genes studied may exert important effects on embryo implantation and fetal development.

• The Zoological Society Korea : Newsletter
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.95.1-95
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• 1995

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1995.10b
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• pp.223.1-223
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• 1995

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 1991

In vitro developmental ability of early preimplantation monse embryos was shown to be depend on the embryonic stages, media and snpplements and their interaction(Experiment 1). The development of I-cell embryos were more promoted in the complex medinm(Ham's Fl0) than in the simple one(m-KRB), but that of 2-cell embryos showed the reverse effect. The bovine serum albumin(BSA) as a medium snpplement more promoted the development of I- and 2-cell embryos, compared with human fetal cord serum(HCS). On the other hand, the harmful effect of HCS was especially shown on the early cleavage in the embryonic development of the two stages. The effect of serum, in the respect of interaction between media and snpplements. was also more significantly appeared in m-KRB than Ham's Fl0. In the experiment 2, when the harmful effect of HCS was compared with that of fetal bovine serum(FBS), the former more promoted the development of l - and 2-cell embryos than the latter. The effect of HCS was more significantly shown in the development of I-cell than that of 2-cell embryos. Conclusively, as I- and 2-cell embryos were different in the requirements for the in vitro development. the optimal medium and supplement have to be selected for each embryonic stage. It is also respected to the better result if it take into consideration into the kinds of sera when serum is used for culture of early preimplantation embryos.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.217-223
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• 1996

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of co-culture for the development rate to morula /blastocyst stages of early porcine embryos, derived from oocytes matured and fertilized in vitro, with porcine endometrial cell monolayers(PEM) in the two different media, respectively. The rates of embryos developed to 2-, 4-, 8~16-cell and morula /blastocyst stage were 49.6, 40.5, 28.2 and 15.3% in Ham's F-10 with PEM, and 55.3, 45.9, 32.7, and 17.6% in TCM-HEPES with PEM, respectively. The above development rates to morula /blastocyst stages were significantly higher than those of the embryos cultured in the Ham's F-10 and TGM-HEPES without PEM(P<0.05). The in vitro development rates to the morula /blastocyst stage of 1-cell embryos cultured in Ham's F-10 and TCM-HEPES without PEM were 0~1.2%. Especially, most of embryos were observed to arrest the development beyond 4-cell stages. As shown in the above results, the co-culture of in vitro produced porcine embryos with PEM in the two different media enhanced the development of fertilized eggs to morula /blastocyst stages in vitro. However, we didn't find out any differences for the in vitro development to morula /blastocyst stages between Ham's F-10 and TcM-HEPES media.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.75-75
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• 2002

The present study was conducted for the production of transgenic cloned cows by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) that secrete human prourokinase into milk. To establish an efficient production system for bovine transgenic SCNT embryos, the offset was examined of various conditions of donor cells including cell type, size, and passage number on the developmental competence of transgenic SCNT embryos. An expression plasmid far human prourokinase (pbeta-ProU) was constructed by inserting a bovine beta-casein promoter, a green fluorescent protein (GFP) marker gene, and a human prourokinase target gene into a pcDNA3 plasmid. Three types of bovine somatic cells including two adult cells (cumulus cells and ear fibroblasts) and fetal fibroblasts were prepared and transfected using a lipid-meidated method. In Experiment 1, developmental competence and rates of GFP expression in bovine transgenic SCNT embryos reconstructed with cumulus cells were significantly higher than those from fetal and ear fibroblasts. In Experiment 2, the effect of cellular senescence in early (2 to 4) and late (8 to 12) passages was investigated. No significant differences in the development of transgenic SCNT embryos were observed. In Experient 3, different sizes of GFP-expressing transfected cumulus cells [large (>30 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$) or small cell (<30 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$)] were used for SCNT. A significant improvement in embryo development and GFP expression was observed when small cumulus cells were used for SCNT. Taken together, these results demonstrate that (1) adult somatic cells could serve as donor cells in transgenic SCNT embryo production and cumulus cells with small size at early passage were the optimal cell type, and (2) transgenic SCNT embryos derived from adult somatic cells have embryonic development potential.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.97-97
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• 2003

For many animals the centrosome consists of a pair of centrioles and surrounding pericentriolar materials (PCMs). PCMs have been known to play roles during cell division. It is known that centrioles are necessary to assemble centrosomal components. However, many types of oocytes undergo meiosis without centrioles. It is known that in nonmurine mammalian species, the sperm introduces an intact proximal centriole unlike sea urchin where two centrioles are introduced. In case of mouse sperm, the presence of centrosome is not clear In this study, a monoclonal antibody was developed to investigate centrosome during mouse germ cell and early embryo development. Results of immunostaining and Western blotting in CHO cells suggest that the monoclonal antibody recognizes a nuclear and centrosomal protein, thus called NCP. The NCP monoclonal antibody was used to screen a cDNA expression library prepared from 12.5 mouse brain to isolate NCP gene. Nucleotide size of NCP gene obtained from immunoscreening was about 5.5kb. It is determined that the NCP may be closely related with pericentriolar material -1 gene (Pcm-1) from the result of sequencing analysis. The molecular weight, 66kDa, calculated by known DNA sequence in database is consistent with that of detected from Western blotting using CHO cell lysates. Therefore, it is assumed that NCP may be alternative splicing form of Pcm-1 of which molecular weight is 228kDa. In mouse oocytes, NCP was distributed in nucleus as in CHO cells. It was shown that the NCP was localized around neck region, probably the centrosome in mouse neck region. Interestingly, dramatic change in distribution of NCP was also shown in male germ cell development. Finally, we observed the cellular distribution of NCP during early embryo development. NCP was detected in nucleus as well as centrosome foci. It is suggested that the centrioles reassembly we occurring in blastocysts and then affects the distribution of NCP.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.86-93
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• 2004

Nitric oxide (NO) has emerged as an important intracellular and intercellular messenger, controlling many physiological processes and participating in the fertilization process via the autocrine and paracrine mechanisms. This study investigated whether nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitior (L-NAME) and L-arginine could regulate in vitro fertilization and early embryonic development in mice. Mouse epididymal spermatozoa, oocytes, and embryos were incubated in mediums of variable conditions with and without L-NAME or L-arginine (0.5, 1, 5 and 10mM). Fertilization rate and early embryonic development were significantly inhibited by treating sperms or oocytes with L-NAME (93.8% vs 66.3%,92.1% vs 60.3%), but not with L-arginine. In contrast, fertilization rate and early embryonic development were conspicuously reduced when L-NAME or L-arginine was added to the culture media for embryos. Early embryonic development was inhibited by microinjection of L-NAME into the fertilized embryosin a dose-dependent manner, but only by high concentrations of L-arginine. These results suggest that a moderate amount of NO production is essential for fertilization and early embryo development in mice.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.55-55
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• 2001

Monosaccaride hexose, may have different role in embryo development of different species. Glucose, fructose and galactose are glycolysible substrates but their effect on embryo development is not identical. Glucose has negative effect to early embryonic stage in several species whereas it is inevitable after compaction. For fructose, it can support blastocyst formation in hamster, mouse and bovine embryo. Effect of galactose is known as detrimental even at a low concentration while glucose has adverse effect only at high concentration in hamster. (omitted)

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.12 no.8
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• pp.3541-3546
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• 2011

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved lysosomal pathway for degrading cytoplasmic proteins, macromolecules, and organelles in addition to recycling protein and ATP synthesis. Although autophagy is very important during embryogenesis, the mechanism underlying the dynamic development during this process remains largely unknown. In order to obtain insights into autophagy in early embryo development, we analyzed gene expression levels of autophagy-related genes (ATGs) in mouse embryos developing in vitro. Using real time RT-PCR technique, ATGs including Atg2a, Atg3, Atg4b, Atg5, Atg6, Atg7, Atg9a, and Wipi3, as maternal transcripts, were only up-regulated in 1-cell embryo stage before zygotic genomic activation (ZGA), and then expression decreased from 2-cell to blastocyst embryo stage. ATGs including Dram and Atg9b were expressed abundantly in 1-cell embryo state and in blastocyst embryo stage, athough Atg8 and Ulk1 were constantly expressed during preimplantation stage. However, Atg4d were only up-expressed from 4-cell to blastocyst stage. These results suggest that autophagy is related in mouse embryo, which possibly gives an important role for early development.