In this study, we investigated the possibility of using mouse embryonic stem cell conditioned medium (ESCM) and embryonic stem cell medium (ESM) for in vitro maturation in the efficient in vitro production of blastocysts from porcine follicular oocyte. Depending on the concentration of supplement of ESCM added to the NCSU-23 solution did not affect 2-cell development rates and blastocysts development. However, in particular, the survival rate (10 days of culture) of blastocyst was significantly higher than that of the control group as the additive concentration (30%) increased (p < 0.05). The survival rate of blastocysts showed a similar tendency even with addition of ESM (30%) alone. On the other hand, the duration of the addition of these additives during IVM (0-44 h) was that the IVM I period (0-22 h) were more effective than the IVM II period (22-44 h). Thus, the effect of these additives is probably due to the combination of the various physiologically active substances of ESCM or the appropriate amino acids and vitamins of ESM. In particular, these additives were more effective during the first half (IVM I) of in vitro maturation. In summary, optimization of ESCM or ESM supplementation may improve in vitro maturation of porcine oocyte and affect developmental competency. Therefore, if more efficient methods of adding ESCM or ESM to basal culture medium can be developed during in vitro maturation of porcine follicle oocytes, high quality blastocysts will be developed from low porcine follicular oocyte compared to other domestic animals.

This study aimed to produce high-quality blastocysts and establish appropriate microinjection conditions for the introduction of target gene. First, we identified embryo development to the blastocyst stage after microinjection using the CRISPR/Cas9 system on the Cas9 protein or mRNA. As a result, we confirmed that blastocyst development in the Cas9 mRNA injected group significantly increased when compared to the Cas9 protein injected group (p<0.05). However, the blastocyst gene targeting rate increased in the Cas9 protein injected group when compared to the Cas9 mRNA injected group (p<0.05). Next, we treated the injection medium with 10 μg/ml of cytochalasin B (CB), and the microinjected embryos were cultured in CR1-aa medium supplemented with 0.1 μM of melatonin (Mela). Consequently, the blastocyst formation rate significantly increased in the CB treated group (p<0.05). After microinjecting embryos with the CB treated injection medium, we investigated blastocyst formation and quality via Mela treatment. Consequently, the Mela treated group demonstrated significantly increased blastocyst formation rates when compared to the non-treated group (p<0.05). Furthermore, immunofluorescence assay using RAD51 (DNA repair detection protein) and H2AX139ph (DNA damage detection protein) showed an increase in RAD51 positive cells in Mela treated embryos. Therefore, we verified the improvement in knock-in efficiency in microinjected bovine embryos using Cas9 protein. These results also demonstrated that the positive effect of the CB and Mela treatments improved the embryonic developmental competence and blastocyst qualities in genetically-edited bovine embryos.

The elevated temperature and high humidity has been known as main reason for heat stress on animals and cause detrimental effects on productivity of organisms and physiological conditions of normal bioactivities. The aims of this study were to evaluate the relationship between time of heat shock simulation during in vitro maturation and developmental competence of subsequent embryo after in vitro fertilization. Heat shocked cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) of Korean native cattle were subjected to normal conditions for 22, 21, 18 and 12 h respectively and transferred to heat stress inducing condition at 40.5 °C in other incubator for 0 (control), 1 and 4 h. After maturation for 22 h, the oocytes were fertilized and cultured in mSOF media for 8 d and examined the developmental capacity of embryos. There were no differences in maturation and cleavage rates between 0, 1 and 4 h heat socked oocytes, but blastocysts formation were lower in the 4 h heat stressed oocytes. The apoptotic cells of developed blastocysts were also increased in at day 8 with 4 h heat shocked oocytes. These results indicate that heat shock on oocytes during maturation could cause negative effects on the developmental competence of embryos.

These studies were conducted to establish the practical Hanwoo (Korean native cattle) improvement system through the combining of embryo transfer technology and confirming individual Hanwoo oocyte culture system and to investigate that correlation of Hanwoo carcass classification (intramuscular marbling) and oocyte donor for blastocyst production in vitro. In case of Hanwoo, the carcass meat quality grades were divided to grade 1⁺⁺, 1⁺, 1, 2, and 3 depends on fat distribution of longest muscle cross-sectional surface. As results, the numbers of follicular oocytes collected from individual fundamentally-registered Hanwoo yielded 1⁺⁺, 1⁺, 1, 2 and 3 meat quality were 9.5, 9.4, 8.5, 8.8 and 8.8 per ovary, respectively. The numbers of retrieval oocyte from follicles were significantly higher in the cattle yield 1⁺⁺, 1⁺ meat quality than in the cattle yield 1, 2 and 3 meat quality (p<0.05). The rates of blastocyst formation were 18.2, 21.3, 29.4, 30.9, and 31.5% in the cattle yield 1⁺⁺, 1⁺, 1, 2 and 3 meat quality of after in vitro maturation, respectively. It was significantly lower in the cattle yield 1⁺⁺ and 1⁺ meat quality than in the cattle yield 1, 2 and 3 meat quality (p<0.05). In order to evaluate embryos quality, TUNNEL assay was conducted for each meat quality grade using blastocyst stage embryo on day 8. The results showed that apoptosis cell number was higher tendency in the cattle yield 1⁺⁺and 1⁺ meat quality (81 and 79, respectively) than in the cattle yield 1, 2 and 3 meat quality (51, 48 and 50, respectively) but there was no statistical significance in each group. After embryo transfer, the conception rate of recipient was 53.5 (23 out of 43), 52.1 (38 out of 73) and 58.0% (58 out of 100) in the meat quality of 1, 1+ and 1++, respectively. These results showed that the conception rate was significantly higher in the cattle yield 1 meat quality than in the cattle yield 1⁺⁺, 1⁺ , 2, and 3 meat quality (p<0.05). In summary, these results indicate that the application of confirming Hanwoo individual oocyte culture system and embryo transfer technology can make good use of the genetic resources conservation and improvement of Hanwoo. Relevance of the meat quality grade and reproductive ability of carcasses of Hanwoo will be considered to be one of the effective means for the associated research with obesity and reproduction.

Previously, we reported that the osmolarity conditions in the satellite region were affected CpG DNA methylation status while Pre-1 sequence was not affected CpG DNA methylation in pNT blastocyst stage. This study was conducted to investigate the DNA methylation status of repeat sequences in pig nuclear transfer (pNT) embryos produced under different osmolarity culture conditions. Control group of pNT embryos was cultured in PZM-3 for six days. Other two treatment groups of pNT embryos were cultured in modified PZM-3 with 138 mM NaCl or 0.05 M sucrose (mPZM-3, 320 mOsmol) for two days, and then cultured in PZM-3 (270 mOsmol) for four days. The DNA methylation status of the Pre-1 sequences in blastocysts was characterized using a bisulfite-sequencing method. Intriguingly, in the present study, we found the unique DNA methylation at several non-CpG sequences at the Pre-1 sequences in all groups. The non-CpG methylation was hypermethylated in all three groups, including in vivo group (86.90% of PZM- 3; 83.87% of NaCl; 84.82% of sucrose; 90.94% of in vivo embryos). To determine whether certain non-CpG methylated sites were preferentially methylated, we also investigated the methylation degree of CpA, CpT and CpC. Excepting in vivo group, preference of methylation was CpT>CpC>CpA in all three groups investigated. These results indicate that DNA methylation of Pre-1 sequences was hypermethylated in CpG as well as non-CpG site, regardless modification of osmolarity in a culture media.

Osmolarity of culture media is one of the most important factors affecting in vitro development. This study was conducted to investigate the DNA methylation status of Pre-1 and satellite sequence in pig nuclear transfer (pNT) embryos produced under different osmolarity culture conditions. Control group of pNT embryos was cultured in PZM-3 for six days. Other two treatment groups of pNT embryos were cultured in modified PZM-3 with 138 mM NaCl or 0.05M sucrose (mPZM-3, 320 mOsmol) for two days, and then cultured in PZM-3 (270 mOsmol) for four days. Previous our studies have reported that pNT embryos cultured in both hypertonic media showed significantly higher blastocyst formation rate than that of control. The DNA methylation status of the satellite sequences in blastocyst was characterized using bisulfite-sequencing technology. The satellite region had a similar methylation pattern of in vivo blastocyst among two culture groups excepting the control group. Each level of methylation is that the satellite DNA moderately methylated (43.10% of PZM-3; 56.12% of NaCl; 55.06% of sucrose; 60.00% of in vivo embryos). As a result of the sequence of PRE-1, CpG methylation pattern was similar to three groups, including in vivo group. In case of the satellite DNA region, the osmolarity conditions were affected CpG DNA methylation status while PRE-1 sequence was not affected CpG DNA methylation in pNT blastocyst stage. These results indicate that the modification of osmolarity in a culture media may influence to spatially change of DNA methylation of repetitive sequence for pNT embryo development.

DNA methylation is one of the reasons for poor survival of clone animals. The OCT-4 gene is essential for maintaining pluripotency of embryonic stem (ES) cells and early embryos. We previously reported that the 5'-promoter region of Oct-4 gene was a target of DNA methylation and the methylation status was changed variously during embryonic development in bovine. The study conducted to examine the expression and methylation pattern of tissue-dependent differentially methylated region (T-DMR) of Oct-4 gene in bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) blastocysts. The Oct-4 gene expression was evaluated by RT-PCR and fluorescence immunocytochemistry. The methylation pattern of T-DMR was analyzed using restriction mapping and bisulfite sequencing methods. The Oct-4 transcripts were highly expressed in IVF, while they were not expressed in SCNT. The Oct-4 protein was not detected or expressed at very low level in SCNT, the intensity of Oct-4 protein, however, was strong in IVF. On the other hand, the T-DMR of Oct-4 gene was hypermethylated in SCNT compared to that of IVF. These results suggested that expression and the failure of demethylation of Oct-4 gene was closely associated with incomplete development of SCNT embryos.

본 연구는 소 배반포의 내부 세포괴로부터 다능성(pluripotency)을 지닌 배아 줄기 세포(embryonic stem cell) 또는 그 유사 세포를 분리 및 배양함으로써 줄기 세포 관련 분야의 기반 기술을 확립하고자 하였다. 소 체외수정란을 10～12일간 체외배양하여 생산된 부화 배반포를 세포분열이 불활성화된 생쥐 태아 섬유아 세포(mouse embryonic fibroblast, MEF) 위에서 배양하여 콜로니 형성을 유도하였으며, 이들로부터 내부 세포괴 유래의 형태를 지닌 것만을 광학현미경 하에서 물리적으로 분리하여 약 5～7일 간격으로 계대배양을 실시하였다. 이러한 방법을 통하여 배아 줄기 유사 세포의 특성을 40계대 이상 유지하는 2개의 세포주를 확립하였다. 각각의 세포주들은 높은 alkaline phosphatase(AP) 활성을 지니고 있었으며, 형광 면역 염색법과 PCR 기법을 사용하여 Oct-4, Nanog, STAT3, SSEA3 및 SSEA4의 발현을 관찰할 수 있었다. 이러한 결과를 종합하여 볼 때 ,본 연구에서는 소 배반포로부터 배아 줄기 세포주를 확립하는 제반 기술이 확립되었다고 판단되며, 향후 관련 분야 연구에 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

본 연구는 수정란이식의 현장 적용 측면을 중심으로, 한우 체외 수정란의 발생 단계, 일자 및 등급이 젖소 대리모에 이식 후 임신과 유산, 분만과 관련된 임신기간, 생시체중, 난산 및 쌍자율을 조사하였다. 또한 단자 및 쌍자 분만에 따른 임신기간, 생시체중, 성비 및 폐사율을 분석하였다. 발생 단계에 따른 임신율은 배반포 단계(64.4%), 유산율은 부화 배반포(HB) 단계(21.4%)가 유의하게 높았다(p<0.05). 발생 일령에 따른 임신율은 7일령

본 연구에서는 소 체외수정란 생산에 있어서 체외성숙용 배지에 첨가하는 혈청과 호르몬의 효과를 검토하기 위하여 제1극체 출현율과 배발달율을 조사하였고, 생산된 배반포의 품질을 평가하기 위하여 세포수를 검토하였다. 1. 체외성숙용 배지에 혈청 및 성선자극호르몬의 첨가에 따른 한우 난포란의 제1극체 출현율은 비슷한 경향이었다. 배반포까지의 발달율은 혈청 및 성선자극호르몬 공동 첨가군(26.0％)이 대조군과 성선자극호르몬 단독 첨가군보다 유의하게 높았다(P<0