Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 1, 2025
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Application of Mouse Parthenogenetic Haploid Embryonic Stem Cells as a Substitute of Sperm
Published on: November 19, 2020
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bESC from cloned embryos do not retain transcriptomic or epigenetic memory from somatic donor cells
M Navarro1,2, M M Halstead2, Gonzalo Rincon3
1Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas 'Dr Rodolfo Ugalde', UNSAM-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Reproduction (Cambridge, England)
|August 11, 2022
Summary
Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and in vitro fertilized (IVF) bovine embryonic stem cells (bESC) show remarkable similarities in their gene expression and epigenomes. This suggests SCNT-derived bESC are a viable source for livestock genomic improvement without transgenes.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Stem cell biology
- Epigenetics
Background:
- Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are crucial for developmental studies and livestock genomic improvement.
- Bovine ESCs (bESC) have been derived, but their molecular characteristics require detailed analysis.
- Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) efficiency is often limited by incomplete epigenetic reprogramming.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively analyze the transcriptomic and epigenomic landscape of bovine ESCs derived from both in vitro fertilized (IVF) and SCNT embryos.
- To compare the molecular states of bESC from IVF and SCNT origins.
- To assess the potential of SCNT-derived bESC for livestock applications.
Main Methods:
- Derivation and culture of bovine ESCs from IVF and SCNT embryos.
- Transcriptome analysis using RNA sequencing.
- Epigenomic profiling using histone modification assays (H3K4me3, H3K9me3, H3K27me3) with CUT&Tag.
- Comparative analysis of gene expression and epigenetic marks between IVF- and SCNT-bESC.
Main Results:
- Bovine ESCs were efficiently derived from both IVF and SCNT embryos, expressing pluripotency markers and maintaining genome stability.
- Transcriptome analysis revealed minimal gene expression differences (46 genes) between IVF- and SCNT-bESC, with no significant functional deviations.
- Epigenomic analysis showed virtually indistinguishable histone modification patterns between the two bESC groups, with minor differences being randomly distributed.
- Both IVF- and SCNT-bESC shared identical epigenomic signatures, particularly at gene promoters.
Conclusions:
- Bovine ESCs derived from SCNT and IVF embryos are transcriptomically and epigenomically analogous.
- SCNT offers a viable method for generating pluripotent stem cells from elite livestock without transgenes.
- These findings support the use of SCNT-derived bESC for large-scale genomic improvement and in vitro breeding programs.
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