[Comparative study on the chimeric ability of embryonic stem cell lines HDC and MESPU-13]

While producing transgenic mice by ES cell route, it is important to know whether ES cells used have a strong ability to produce chimeras or not. In this report, two methods were used for studying the chimeric ability of two ES cell lines (HDC and MESPU-13). One method was the blastocyst microinjection, that is, chimeras were produced by injecting 15 ES cells into the cavity of C57BL/6J blastocysts. Another was GPI electrophoresis for examinizing the chimerism of ES cells in internal tisssues and organs of chimeras. The results showed that the ability of producing chimeras of MESPU-13 cells was stronger than that of HDC cells. The reason was discussed in detail.