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Combinational Treatment of Trichostatin A and Vitamin C Improves the Efficiency of Cloning Mice by Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer
Published on: April 26, 2018
Enhancing somatic nuclear reprogramming by Oct4 gain-of-function in cloned mouse embryos
Martin J Pfeiffer1, Sebastian T Balbach, Telma C Esteves
1Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany.
The International Journal of Developmental Biology
|December 8, 2010
Summary
Supplemental Oct4 (Pou5f1) enhances cloned mouse embryo development to blastocyst stage by aiding early reprogramming. Increasing Oct4 later does not improve development, suggesting Oct4 levels reflect successful early reprogramming.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Developmental biology
- Stem cell biology
Background:
- Cloned embryo development to blastocyst correlates with Oct4 (Pou5f1) expression.
- The causal link between Oct4 levels and developmental competence remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causal role of Oct4 in cloned mouse embryo development.
- To determine if Oct4 influences reprogramming during early cleavage or later preimplantation stages.
Main Methods:
- Artificially increasing Oct4 levels via mRNA injection before SCNT.
- Using transgenic Oct4 induction at the morula stage.
- Assessing blastocyst development rates of cloned embryos.
Main Results:
- Supplemental Oct4 superimposed with initial reprogramming events significantly increased blastocyst rates.
- Increasing Oct4 at later preimplantation stages did not affect developmental rates.
- Results indicate Oct4 facilitates oocyte-mediated reprogramming during early cleavages.
Conclusions:
- Supplemental Oct4 is crucial for early reprogramming events in cloned embryos.
- High Oct4 levels in competent cloned morulae are a consequence of successful early reprogramming.
- Oct4's role in cloned embryo development is stage-specific, primarily impacting initial reprogramming.
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