Sperm genome cloning used in biparental bovine embryo reconstruction

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 769 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Vichera ◽  
Ramiro Olivera ◽  
Pablo Sipowicz ◽  
Martín Radrizzani ◽  
Daniel Salamone

The generation of androgenetic haploid embryos enables several haploid blastomeres to be obtained as identical copies of a single spermatozoon genome. In the present study, we compared the developmental ability of bovine androgenetic haploid embryos constructed by different methods, namely IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) before and after oocyte enucleation. Once obtained, the blastomeres of these androgenetic haploid embryos were used as male genome donors to reconstruct biparental embryos by fusion with matured oocytes. To verify the cytoplasmic contribution of androgenetic haploid blastomeres, we used spermatozoa incubated previously with exogenous DNA that coded for a green fluorescent protein gene (pCX-EGFP) and the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-positive androgenetic haploid blastomeres generated were fused with mature oocytes. Of the reconstructed embryos reaching the cleavage and blastocyst stages, 85.1% and 9.0%, respectively, expressed EGFP (P > 0.05). EGFP expression was observed in 100% of reconstructed embryos, with 91.2% exhibiting homogenic expression. To confirm sperm genome incorporation, androgenetic haploid blastomeres generated by ICSI prior to enucleation and using Y chromosome sexed spermatozoa were used for biparental embryo reconstruction. Incorporation of the Y chromosome was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and fluorescence in situ hybridisation analysis. In conclusion, the results of the present study prove that it is possible to use sperm genome replicates to reconstruct biparental bovine embryos and that it is a highly efficient technique to generate homogeneous transgene-expressing embryos.

2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 315 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Kragh ◽  
G. Vajta ◽  
T. J. Corydon ◽  
S. Purup ◽  
L. Bolund ◽  
...  

Recently, a zona-free technique for bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer (NT) with no requirement for micromanipulation (i.e. hand-made cloning (HMC)) has been described. The present study demonstrates the application of the HMC technique in the production of transgenic porcine blastocysts. In vitro-matured zona-free porcine oocytes were bisected manually using a microblade and halves containing no chromatin (i.e. the cytoplasts) were selected. Two cytoplasts were electrofused with one transgenic fibroblast expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein and reconstructed embryos were activated in calcium ionophore (A23187) followed by 6-dimethylaminopurine. Subsequently, embryos were cultured in NCSU-23 medium supplemented with 4 mg mL–1 bovine serum albumin for 7 days. In five replicates, 93.0 ± 7.0% (mean ± s.e.m.) of attempted reconstructed embryos fused and survived activation (31/31, 15/23, 28/28, 37/37 and 28/28). On Day 7 after activation, the respective blastocyst rates (per successfully reconstructed embryos) were 6% (2/31), 7% (1/15), 7% (2/28), 3% (1/37) and 7% (2/28), resulting in an average of 6.0 ± 0.8%. Enhanced green fluorescent protein was expressed in all cells of all eight developing blastocysts. Efforts are now directed towards the production of offspring from such transgenic NT blastocysts.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 189
Author(s):  
S. N. Lotti ◽  
M. Rubessa ◽  
R. V. Knox ◽  
M. B. Wheeler

In mice, microinjection is the most common gene transfer method used. Unfortunately, this strategy does not translate as well to livestock. Another potential method is sperm-mediated gene transfer, which takes advantage of sperm’s natural ability to bind to naked DNA. Gene transfer using sperm-mediated gene transfer has been shown in pigs (Gandolfi et al. 1989 J. Reprod. Fert. Abstr. Ser. 4) and cattle (Perez et al. 1991 Biotecnol. Apl. 8, 90–94). Based on these observations, we examined the efficiency of exogenous DNA binding to sperm using liposomes. In this experiment, we analysed methods to select thawed bovine sperm for DNA binding and evaluated the binding of exogenous DNA to those sperm. To determine the optimal sperm-selection method, the sperm were analysed using a computer-assisted sperm analyzer (CASA), the parameters selected were: total motility, rapid motility, and progressive motility. To measure the binding of DNA we used an indirect analysis using NanoDrop technology (Thermo Scientific, Wilmington, DE, USA) to compare the different DNA concentrations among groups. Liposome preparation was done using a cationic lipid, 3-(trimethyl ammonium iodide) 1,2 dimystryl-propanediate and a neutral lipid, l-a Dioleoyl phosphatidyl-ethanolamine prepared according to the protocol of Russell (1997). Percoll or swim-up methods were used to select sperm after thawing (Rubessa et al. 2016), followed by incubation (3 h) with the liposome-DNA complexes according to liposome preparation protocol (Russell, 1997). We used enhanced green fluorescent protein in combination with the liposomes as a marker for exogenous DNA binding. Five treatments per selection method were analysed: 1) immediately after processing (Control), 2) After 3 h of incubation with no liposomes, 3) incubation with liposomes and no DNA, 4) incubation with 1 ng of DNA, and 5) incubation with 10 ng of DNA. This was repeated five times. The CASA results for total motility and rapid motility showed a greater amount of significant differences (P < 0.01) between the control and the other treatments in the Percol group as opposed to swim-up. These results confirm that the sperm selected with swim-up is more stable. Following CASA analysis, sperm was washed with PBS twice and collected in tubes. The DNA from all samples was extracted to determine the quantity of attaching varying amounts of DNA to sperm. The results showed a general increase in DNA concentrations with the increase of DNA added for both methods, but the statistical variation was too large to draw any definite conclusion. In future studies, real-time PCR will be used to determine the quantity of enhanced green fluorescent protein bound to the sperm. Table 1. Results of the computer-assisted sperm analyzer (CASA)


Zygote ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-79
Author(s):  
Vicente J.F. Freitas ◽  
Iana S. Campelo ◽  
Mirelly M.A.S. Silva ◽  
Camila M. Cavalcanti ◽  
Dárcio I.A. Teixeira ◽  
...  

SummaryThis study aimed to investigate the ability of disulphide-less crotamine (dLCr) to complex DNA and to evaluate whether the DNA–dLCr complex is capable of improving transfection in bovine embryos. Three experiments were performed to: (i) evaluate the formation and stability of the DNA–dLCr complex; (ii) assess the dLCr embryotoxicity by exposure of bovine embryos to dLCr; and (iii) assess the efficiency of bovine embryo transfection after microinjection of the DNA–dLCr complex or green fluorescent protein (GFP) plasmid alone (control). DNA complexation by dLCr after 30 min of incubation at 1:100 and 1:50 proportions presented higher efficiency (P < 0.05) than the two controls: native crotamine (NCr) 1:10 and lipofectamine. There was no difference between DNA–dLCr 1:25 and the controls. The DNA–dLCr complexation was evaluated at different proportions and times. In all, at least half of maximum complexation was achieved within the initial 30 min. No embryotoxicity of dLCr was verified after exposure of in vitro fertilized embryos to different concentrations of the peptide. The effectiveness of dLCr to improve exogenous gene expression was evaluated by microinjection of the DNA–dLCr complex into in vitro fertilized zygotes, followed by verification of both embryo development and GFP expression. From embryos microinjected with DNA only, 4.6% and 2.8% expressed the GFP transgene at day 5 and day 7, respectively. The DNA–dLCr complex did not increase the number of GFP-positive embryos. In conclusion, dLCr forms a complex with DNA and its application in in vitro culture is possible. However, the dLCr peptide sequence should be redesigned to improve GFP expression.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document