In this study I report that in vitro development rates of bovine nuclear transfer embryos activated either with boar sperm cytosolic factor (SCF) or with ionomycin followed by cycloheximide (CHX) and subsequent in vivo developmental rates after embryo transfer are related to blastocyst quality as evaluated by apoptosis analysis. SCF was extracted from porcine semen then purified for post-activation injection after nuclear transfer. The optimal timing for SCF injection was determined to be at least 22 h post-IVM for parthenogenetic activation of bovine oocyies. A total of 364 oocytes were successfully enucleated and 268 (73.6%) fused and were injected with SCF. The survival rate of fused and injected embryos was 109/113 (96.5%) after 2 h. The cleavage rates of nuclear transfer embryos after 3 d of culture in the ionomycin/CHX treated group were significantly higher than those of the SCF-activated group (93.3% vs 81.7%, p<0.01, respectively). However, at 7 d and 9 d there was no significant difference between the total developmental rates to blastocyst for either treatment group. Total blastocyst cell numbers were also not significantly different between the two activation treatments (ionomycin/CHX: 149.57.7 vs. SCF: 139.34.4 cells). In contrast, the apoptotic levels in the SCF blastocysts were higher than those produced after the chemical treatment (28.25.1% vs. 8.80.6%, respectively). A total of 18 expanded or hatching blastocysts was transferred to nine synchronized recipients in each activation group; 5/9 (55.5%) and 2/9 (22.2%) were pregnant at 40 d in the ionomycin/CHX treatment and SCF activated group, respectively. However, only one went to term in the ionomycin/CHX treatment while none of the pregnancies from the SCF group were maintained by 90 d. In conclusion, these results suggest that SCF derived from different species is a limited activator to be used for activation after bovine nuclear transfer in lieu of a chemical activation protocol.

• Shin, Tae-Young