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.

형질전환 동물의 유선에서 특이적으로 발현되도록 고안된 pBIL-10 발현 벡터를 이용하여 인간 IL-10 유전자가 삽입되어 한 계통으로 확립된 형질전환 생쥐에서 이 유전자가 장기 세대까지 안정적으로 전이되고, 또한 발현 수준도 지속적으로 유지되는지를 조사하였다. 이를 위해 제 8 세대의 수컷 hIL-10 형질전환 생쥐를 실험에 공시하였고, 제 15 세대까지의 전이율과 hIL-10 유전자의 발현 수준을 분석하였다, 제 8 세대 생쥐의 계대 번식에 의한 자손 중 50.9±5.8％가 형질전환 생쥐로 판명되었다. 또한 제 9 세대에서 외래 유전자의 전이율은 66.0±20.1％이렀고, 제 10 세대에서 외래 유전자의 전이율은 61.5±16.7％이었고, 제 11 세대에서 외래 유전자의 전이율은 41.1±8.4％이었고, 제 12 세대에서 외래 유전자의 전이율은 40.7±20.3％이었고, 제 13 세대에서 외래 유전자의 전이율은 61.3±10.8％이었고, 제 14 세대에서 외래 유전자의 전이율은 49.2±18.8％이었고, 제 15 세대에서 외래 유전자의 전이율은 43.8±25.9％이었다. 이러한 결과로 hIL-10 형질전환 생쥐는 그 외래유전자의 유전적 손상이 없이 장기 세대까지 안정적으로 전이되는 것으로 판다된다. 제 9 세대의 암컷 형질전환 생쥐로부터 유즙내 인간 hIL-10의 발현 수준을 분석하였을 때, 그 농도는 평균 3.6± 1.2 mg/ml의 수준에서 측정되었다. 제 10세대에서는 유즙내 인간 hIL-10의 발현 수준을 분석하였을 때, 그 농도는 평균 4.2±0.9 mg/ml의 수준에서 측정되었고, 제 11세대에서는 유즙내 인간 hIL-10의 발현 수준을 분석하였을 때, 그 농도는 평균 5.7± 1.5 mg/ml의 수준에서 측정되었고, 제 12세대에서는 유즙내 인간 hIL-10의 발현 수준을 분석하였을 때, 그 농도는 평균 6.3±3.5 mg/ml의 수준으로 측정되었고, 제 13세대에서는 유즙내 인간 hIL-10의 발현 수준을 분석하였을 때, 그 농도는 평균 6.8±4.5 mg/ml의 수준으로 측정되었고, 제 14세대에서는 유즙내 인간 hIL-10의 발현 수준을 분석하였을 때, 그 농도는 평균 6.8±3.1 mg/ml의 수준으로 측정되었다. 이러한 수준은 제 1 세대의 것보다 높은 결과로 형질전환 생쥐에서 인간 IL-10 유전자의 발현은 최소한 15 세대까지 지속적으로 유지된다는 것을 알 수 있었으며, 장기 세대까지도 발현수준이 유지될 것으로 판단된다. 이러한 연구결과는 계통으로 확립된 형질전환 동물에 부여된 새로운 유전형질은 지속적으로 후대로 유전될 수 있음을 제시한다.

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.