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Reproduction, Fertility and Development Reproduction, Fertility and Development Society
Vertebrate reproductive science and technology
RESEARCH ARTICLE

108. INTERSPECIES SOMATIC CELL NUCLEAR TRANSFER IS DEPENDENT ON COMPATIBLE CYTOPLASMIC FACTORS AND MITOCHONDRIAL DNA

Y. Jiang B , R. Kelly A B , A. Peters B , H. Fulka B , D. A. Mitchell A and J. C. St John A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Centre for Reproduction and Development, Monash Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia.

B Clinical Sciences Research Institute, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.

Reproduction, Fertility and Development 22(9) 26-26 https://doi.org/10.1071/SRB10Abs108
Published: 6 September 2010

Abstract

Interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT) offers significant opportunities to analyze and understand nuclear-cytoplasmic interactions. Using a murine-porcine interspecies model, we investigated the importance of nuclear-cytoplasmic compatibility, specifically mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), on successful development. Transfer of somatic murine fetal fibroblasts into enucleated porcine oocytes resulted in extremely low blastocyst rates (0.4%); increased DNA strand breaks; deficient nuclear pore complex arrangements and increased aberrant karyokinesis than observed in porcine-porcine SCNT embryos. Using allele specific-PCR analysis, murine mtDNA was detected at ever-decreasing levels to the blastocyst stage, with peak levels being 0.14 ± 0.055% in 2-cell embryos. Furthermore, these embryos reduced total mtDNA copy number during preimplantation development in a manner similar to porcine embryos. Injecting mouse embryonic stem cell extract and mitochondria along with the murine donor cell into a mitochondria depleted porcine oocyte, increased blastocyst zona pellucida thinning and blastocyst rates significantly (0.4% vs 3.42%) compared to the non-supplemented iSCNT group. They also had significantly more murine mtDNA at the 2-cell stage than the non-supplemented embryos, which was maintained throughout preimplantation development. At later stages of preimplantation development, they possessed 48.00% ± 17.38% murine mtDNA and exhibited a mtDNA copy number profile similar to murine embryos. Overall, these data demonstrate that the addition of species compatible cytoplasmic factors and mitochondrial DNA improve developmental competence of iSCNT embryos.