핵 이식 기술을 이용한 cloning 송아지 생산이 처음 보고(Prather et al., 1987) 된 후, 소 수정란 Cloning에 대한 많은 연구가 분자 생물학 등 여러 분야에서 꾸준히 계속되고 있다. 이 기술은 빈우의 번식 능력을 향상시켜 유전적 개량량을 증대할 수 있는 번식과 육종을 위한 도구로써 많은 잠재력을 지니고 있다. 최근 핵 이식 기술을 이용하여 유전적으로 우수한 빈우로부터 수천개의 수정란을 생산하여, 이들 수정란에게 생산된 송아지가

It is widely recognized that the embryonic or fetal loss after breeding is common in the cattle and that it is an important factor affecting reproductive efficiency. The causes of this loss have been subject of extensive researches and the results indicate that the embryonic mortality may he primary factor responsible for low pregnancy rates in non-embryo transfer bovine populations as well as embryo transfer programs. However, it's causes are still not clearly understood. The embryonic mortality or pregnancy rate has been influenced by various embryonic and maternal effects related to genetic and environmental factors. The timing and extent of embryonic mortality vanes greatly according to authors and estimating methods, because it is difficult to make direct measurements. The major important factors that may influence the embryonic losses or pregnancy rates after embryo transfer can be summeirized. 1.When an embryo is transferred to unmated recipients, the contralateral transfer to corpus luteum results in a lower survival rate than ipsilateral deposition. When the embryos are transferred for the production of twin calves, their survivals and twin pregnancies have quite inconsistent according to the transfer methods either to the unmated-synchronized or already mated recipients and more works are needed to accurrately clarify the previous results. 2.Although embryos can be cultured in vitro some hours without the great declines in pregnancy rates, the rates differ markedly among culture times and media but may be improved by co-transfer systems. 3.Embryo developmental stages and quality grades clearly affect the survival rate following freezing and the pregnancy rate after transfer and the selection of embryos without chromosome abnormalities and of high fertile semen may also be considered to increase the pregnancy rates. 4.Many researches have attempted to relate the plasma progesterone levels to pregnancy rates and others have done either direct progesterone supplementation or luteal stimulation by hCG treatment in order to increase the pregnancy rates. However, these effects on pregnancy rates are inconsistent and also contradictory. 5.The asynchrony between donors or embryos and recipients may he a major cause of embryo death and low pregnancy rate and the sensitivity to uterine asynchyony differs in according to the quality and stages of embryos. 6.The extremes of poor or over nutrition during early pregnancy in the recipients are detrimental to the survival of embryos and the good body condition is required to prevent a reduejion of pregnancy rates. The uterine pathogens in embryonic mortality or fertility have been questioned but the infection of C.pyogenes and Campylobacter fetus is still important pathogens. 7.The heat stress during early pregnancy may reduce conceptus weight and possibly increase the embryonic mortality.

The individual difference of superovulatory responses and inferior embryo quality in superovulated cattle may cause disturbances in the endocrine profile, follicular steroidogenesis, nuclear maturation of nocyte, fertilization and cleavage of embryos. However, the reasons why those disturbances are occurred were not understood. The methods of the improvement of superovulatory response and embryo production were the use of anti-PMSG if PMSG used, pure FSH or controlled FSH-LH inducer, priming dose of gonadotropin in the first few day of the estrous cycle and GnRH or analogue. However, all of the above methods were not reduced the individual differences but improved embryo production We must continue the fundamental studies to understand the mechanism.

우수정란의 이식전 성판별이 관한 연구를 수행하기 위하여 GTH와 PGF투여에 대한 난소반응과 회수난자의 발유단계별 동결융해후 생존성을 조사하였으며, 이식전 수정라느이 성판별을 위하여 H-Y항체 처리후 정상발육 난자의 염색체를 분석하여 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. 웅성 비장세포(male, spleen cells)를 면역원으로 mouse와 rat에 투여, 항혈청의 항체를 확인한 결과 mouse에서는 C57 BL계통과 rat에서는 DonRyu 계통이 항체생산

수정란이식에 있어서 수란우의 조건에 따른 수태율을 조사하기 위하여 생수 14 ~24개월되는 젖소 처녀우 29두와 한우 처녀우 1두, 그리고 젖소 경산우 3두 계33두의 수란우에 morulae stage부터 advanced blastocyst stage의 수정란을 각각 1개씩 이식하여 이들 수란우의 연령, 이식된 계절, 반복사용 그리고 공란우와 수란우간의 발정동기화 시차 등에 따른 수태율을 조사하였으며 그 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 1. 수란우의 연령에 따른 수태율은 경산우가 100%로 좋았고 18개월 이상의 처녀우가 78%로 높았다. 14개월 이하의 어린 처녀우가 가장 나쁜 67%를 보였다. 2. 이식한 계절에 따른 수란우의 수태율을 보면 겨울(11월~1월)과 봄(2월~4월)이 각각 100%, 83%로 가을(8월~10월)의 50%보다 좋았다. 3. 1차 이식 후 불임된 수란우의 재사용에 따른 수태율은 1차에 사용된 31두 수란우 중 25두가 수태, 80.7%의 수태율을 보였으나 2차례 이용된 2두는 모두 임신되지 못했다. 4. 공란우와 수란우의 발정동기화의 시차에 따른 수태율은 -(before donor) 12 시간, -6 시간, +(after donor) 6시간, +12 시간, 그리고 +12시간 이상에서 각각 100%, 86%, 67%, 79% 그리고 50%로 공란우보다 빠른편이 수태율이 늦은 우군보다 높았고 시간 이내의 동기화된 우군에서 좋은 수태율을 보였다.

This study was carried out to investigate the inte actions between recipients and embryos to compare pregnancy rates in bovine embryo transfer, such as synchrony and stage of embryos, synchrony and quality of embryos, synchrony and side of uterine horn, and preservation time and stage of embryos. Fifty-two embryos were transferred by surgically to 42 Holstein heifers, 3 Holstein cows and 7 Korean native heifers from Feb., 1985 to June, 1986. The results were as follows: 1. In the trial of interactions between synchrony and embryo stage, recipients synchronired from- hours to + 12 hours in synchrony and embryos from morulac stage to advanced blastoctyst stages showed reason able pregnancy rate. 2. Excellant (A) and good (B) grade embryos showed good pregnancy rate, 81.8% and 73.3% respectively, but fair (C) grade embryos showed poor, 25% only at the same boundary of recipient synchrony. 3. More recipients had corpus luteum on the right ovary than the left, and also had better pregnancy rate (26/32 vs 13/20,81.3% vs 65%). 4. A good pregnancy rates (over 60%) were obtained with the embryo transferred 17hrs after flush at room temperature or field condition in culture medium.

Recipients are an integral part of embryo transfer and they are expensive to maintain as a good recipient. Recipient management is one of the most important components in a successful embryo transfer program. Management includes selection and subsequent care of the animals. A good recipient is basically on "open" cows or heffers whose reproductive tract is capable of receiving one or two embryos and incubating it to term. Potential recipients should be always be healthy and cycling normally ranging from 18 to 23 days. A thorough veterinary examination is recommended for candidate of recipients and cattle for questionable health should be eliminated from the recipient herd. Age and size of recipients are particularly important considerations when heifers are used, because of most embryos available for transfer are from large dams and sires. Body condition can influence a recipient's production, reproduction and health. Obese and underconditioned cattle should be avoided for use. Transfer of fresh embryos especially requires precise synchronization of donors and recipients. For estrus synchronization, PGF is injected twice 10 to 12 days apart and short4erm progestagen treatment is applied to potential recipient cattle by coil into vagina (PRID) or ear implant (Synchro-Mate-B). The highest pregnancy results are achieved in recipients at exact synchrony with donors or 12 to 24 hr earlier than donors. Estrus detection is a major factor in breeding efficiency. High accuracy can be achieved by use of heat mount detection alds or by obserbing cattle for 30-minute peroids 3 times daily. Assay progesterone in milk can be used to discrIminate between pregnant and nonprenant recipients. Rectal palpation on day 35 to 70 after is an accurate and safe method of pregnancy diagnosis. Embryonic mortality in recipients may be associated with factors such as high environmental temperature and nutritional or lactational stress in early lactation period. Achievement of short calving interval requires concentrated management activity during the first 90 days following calving. Acceptable candidate for a recipient should be routinely vaccinated for infectious diseases. Proper nutritional programs according to NRC requirements and body condition scoring system for recipient cattles are vital to the ultimate success of an embryo transfer program.r program.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) induces well-documented mitogenic and differentiating effects on murine and bovine preimplantation embryos. However, the effects of EGF on apoptosis and implantation-related gene expression in bovine embryos developing in vitro have not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of exogenous EGF in the presence and absence of BSA on the preimplantation development of bovine embryos. In addition, we measured cell number, apoptosis, and expression of apoptosis and implantation-related genes of the blastocysts that developed in these culture conditions. In vitro produced bovine embryos were randomly cultured in the same medium containing 0 or 10 ng/ml EGF in the presence and absence of 0.8% BSA. More 2-cell embryos developed into blastocysts at day 7 when BSA was present than when BSA was absent. The addition of 10 ng/ EGF into the medium did not significantly increase the developmental rate and the cell numbers per blastocyst. However, addition of EGF in the presence of 0.8% BSA significantly reduced the degree of apoptosis in the blastocysts (P<0.01). To investigate whether EGF modulates mRNA expression of apoptosis-related genes, mRNA was prepared from single blastocysts and each preparation was subjected to RT-PCR for Bcl-2 and Bax transcripts. EGF did not alter the relative abundance of Bax gene expression in the presence of BSA, but increase Bcl-2 (P<0.01) The relative abundance of Interferon tau expression was increased by EGF treatment in the presence of BSA. These results suggest that EGF and BSA synergistically enhance Bcl-2 and interferone tau gene expression, which may result in a net increase in viability in bovine embryos.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) induces well-documented mitegenic and differentiating effects on murine and bovine preimplantation embryos. However, the effects of EGF on apoptosis and implantation-related gene expression in bovine embryos developing in vitro have not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of exogenous EGF in the presence and absence of BSA on the preimplantation development of bovine embryos. In addition, we measured cell number, apoptosis, and expression of apoptosis and implantation-related genes of the blastocysts that developed in these culture conditions. In vitro produced bovine embryos were randomly cultured in the same medium containing 0 or 10 ng/ EGF in the presence and absence of 0.8% BSA. More 2-cell embryos developed into blastocysts at day 7 when BSA was present than when BSA was absent. The addition of 10 ng/ EGF into the medium did not significantly increase the developmental rate and the cell numbers per blastocyst. However, addition of EGF in the presence of 0.8% BSA significantly reduced the degree of apoptosis in the blastocysts (P< 0.01). To investigate whether EGF modulates mRNA expression of apoptosis-related genes, mRNA was prepared from single blastocysts and each preparation was subjected to RT-PCR for Bcl-2 and Bax transcripts. EGF did not alter the relative abundance of Bax gene expression in the presence of BSA, but increase Bcl-2 (P < 0.01). The relative abundance of Interferon tau expression was increased by EGF treatment in the presence of BSA. These results suggest that EGF and BSA synergistically enhance Bcl-2 and interferone tau gene expression, which may result in a net increase in viability in bovine embryos.

Accurate analysis of nuclear status is needed when biopsied-blastomeres are used for embryo sexing. In this study, the nuclear status of blastomeres derived from 8- to 16-cell stage IVF bovine embryos was analyzed to evaluate the representative of single blastomere for embryo sexing. When 55 embryos were analyzed by PCR following biopsy, the coincident rate of sex determination between biopsied-single blastomere and matched blastocyst by PCR was 80 %. Karyotyping of biastomeres in 8- 16-cell stage bovine embryos was conducted to assess chromosome status of IVF embryos. To establish karyotyping of blastomeres, concentrations of vinblastine sulfate and duration of exposure time for metaphase plate induction with 8- to 16-cell stage bovine embryos were tested. The most effective condition for induction of metaphase plate (>45%) was 1.0 ug/ml vinblastine sulfate treatment for 15 h. In 22 embryos under the condition, only 8 embryos out of ten that had a normal diploid chromosome complement showed a sex-chromosomal composition of XX or XY (36.4%) and 2 diploid embryos showed mosaicism of the opposite sex of XX and XY in blastomeres of embryo (9.1%). One haploid embryo contained only one X-chromosome (4.5%). Four out of the other 11 embryos having a mixoploid chromosomal complement contained haploid blastomere with wrong sex chromosome (18.2%). These results suggested that morphologically normal bovine embryos derived from IVF had considerable proportion of mixoploid and sex-chromosomal mosaicism which could be the cause of discrepancies of the sex between biopsied-single blastomere and matched blastocyst by PCR analysis.