텔로미어란 염색체 말단부에 (TTAGGG)n의 반복 염기서열이 단백질과 결합된 형태를 말하는데 이의 역할은 염색체의 안정성에 본질적으로 작용하여 세포의 노화, 사멸 및 암의 발생과 관련이 있다고 알려져 있다. 반면 텔로머레이스는 telomeric DNA 합성에 직접 관여하는 ribonucleoprotein이다. 본 연구에서는 마우스 염색체의 텔로미어 분포 양상을 제시하고, 초기 배 발생단계별 수정란의 텔로미어 함량과 이들 수정란의 텔로머레이스 활성도를 분석하고자 하였다. 본 분석에는 마우스의 섬유아세포, 생식세포, 정자, 난자 및 1세포기, 2세포기, 4세포기, 8세포기, 상실배와 배반포배의 각 단계별 수정란을 대상으로 하였다. 텔로미어의 양적 분석은 human telomeric DNA probe를 이용한 Q-FISH 방법을 이용하였고, 텔로머레이스 활성도는 TRAP 방법을 이용하였다. 분석 결과 마우스 염색체의 텔로미어는 성 염색체를 포함한 모든 염색체의 앙 말단부에 분포되어 있고, 염색체별 다소의 양적 차이를 보이나 대부분의 염색체에서 q-arm 말단이 p-arm 말단에 비해 높은 텔로미어의 함량을 나타내었다. Q-FISH를 이용한 마우스 초기 배 발생단계별 수정란의 텔로미어의 양적 분석에서 수정 직후 1세포기에서부터 상실배까지 거의 비슷한 텔로미어 함유율을 나타내고 있으나 배반포기에서 월등히 증가된 양상을 나타내었다. TRAP 분석을 이용한 초기배아의 텔로머레이스 활성도는 초기 배 발생 모든 단계에서 이의 활성도를 나타내었으며, 특히 상실배 및 배반포기에서 점진적으로 강한 활성을 보였다. 이상의 분석 결과로부터 마우스의 초기 배 분열단계의 각 세포들에 있어 텔로미어의 함유율과 텔로머레이스 활성도는 높은 상관관계가 있는 것으로 나타났다. 따라서 포유동물의 초기 배자에 있어 텔로미어의 함유율과 텔로머레이스 활성도는 배 발생 및 배자의 세포 분화와 매우 밀접한 관련이 있는 것으로 사료되어 텔로미어의 양적 분석 및 텔로머레이스 활성도 분석은 발생학적 연구를 위한 또 다른 좋은 자료로 생각된다.

The present study was conducted to assess sperm characteristics in miniature-pig. The semen samples were transported to the laboratory at 17℃ within 3 hours after collection. The extended semen was stored at 17℃, and sperm quality was evaluated at 0, 1, 3, 5 and 7 days after storage. The semen volume of miniature-pig (62±22㎖) was significantly (p<0.05) lower than that of Duroc (155±25㎖) and Yorkshire (154±23㎖). Significant differences were also observed in sperm concentrations. During 3 days of storage, sperm viability did not differ among miniature-pig, Duroc and Yorkshire. However, the viability was significantly (p<0.05) lower in miniature-pig than in Duroc and Yorkshire semen after Day 3 of storage. In abnormality, acrosome intactness and intensity, there were no differences among miniature-pig, Duroc and Yorkshire semen. On the other hand, the viability of frozen-thawed sperm in miniature-pig was significantly (p<0.05) lower than in that of Duroc and Yorkshire. This study also examined CTC patterns in frozen-thawed spermatozoa. The rates of AR pattern were higher in miniature-pig than in Duroc and Yorkshire. However, no difference was found in F, B and AR patterns. The results of present study suggest that further research is necessary to develop of semen extender and freezing methods to improve sperm quality in miniature-pig.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the development of bovine nuclear transfer (NT) embryos cultured in serum-free conditions. Bovine NT embryos cultured in various culture conditions were compared blastocyst development, total cell number and apoptosis using TUNEL assay. In experiment 1, blastocyst rates of NT embryos were significantly higher (P<0.01) in FBS (22.0％) and BSA (26.6％) groups than in PVA (6.3％) group. Total cell number was significantly higher in FBS (78.4±19.4) and BSA (90.9±29.1) groups than in PVA group (46.0±0.0). Apoptotic cell number was significantly fewer in FBS (3.1±1.4) and BSA (1.7±1.4) groups than in PVA group (7.0±20.0) However, all of results were not different between the FBS and BSA group. In experiment 2, blastocyst rates of NT embryos were significantly higher (P<0.05) in fatty acid free-BSA (FAF-BSA) group (26.8％) than in fraction V-BSA group (11.2％). Total cell number were somewhat higher in FAF-BSA group (89.8±30.7) than in fraction V-BSA group (88.1±19.3). Apoptotic cell number were somewhat fewer in FAF-BSA (1.7±1.5) group than in fraction V-BSA group (4.2±2.9). These findings suggest that serum free condition were effective for the in vitro development of bovine NT embryos. Therefore, we concluded that fatty acid free-BSA has beneficial effect in development bovine NT embryos and can be use as a serum substitute.

DNA methylation at CpG sites, which is a epigenetic modification, is associated with gene expression without change of DNA sequences. During early mouse embryogenesis, dynamic changes of DNA methylation occur. In this study, DNA methylation patterns of porcine embryos produced in vivo and in vitro were examined at various developmental stages by the immunocytochemical staining method. Interestingly, active demethylation was not observed on the paternal pronucleus of porcine zygotes. However, differences were detected in the passive demethylation process between in vivo and in vitro embryos. There was no change in the DNA methylation state until the blastocyst stage of in vivo embryos, whereas partial demethylation was observed in several blastomeres from a 4 cell stage to a morula stage of in vitro embryos. The whole genome of inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) cells in porcine blastocysts were evenly methylated without de novo methylation. Our findings demonstrate that genome-wide demethylation does not occur in pig embryos during preimplantation development unlike murine and bovine embryos. It indicates that the machinery regulating epigenetic reprogramming may be different between species.