Ontogeny of Cloned Cattle to Lactation

• Published in: Biology of reproduction Vol. 67; no. 1; pp. 334 - 339
• Main Authors: Pace, Marvin M, Augenstein, Monica L, Betthauser, Jeffery M, Childs, Lynette A, Eilertsen, Kenneth J, Enos, Joellyn M, Forsberg, Erik J, Golueke, Paul J, Graber, Doug F, Kemper, John C, Koppang, Richard W, Lange, Gail, Lesmeister, Tiffany L, Mallon, Kelly S, Mell, Greg D, Misica, Pavla M, Pfister-Genskow, Martha, Strelchenko, Nikolai S, Voelker, Gary R, Watt, Steven R, Bishop, Michael D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Madison, WI Society for the Study of Reproduction 01.07.2002
• Subjects: Abortion, Spontaneous - epidemiology; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Birth Weight - physiology; Body Weight - physiology; Cattle; Cell Line; Cloning, Organism; Contents; Eating - physiology; Embryo Transfer; Embryology: invertebrates and vertebrates. Teratology; Embryonic and Fetal Development - physiology; Estrus - physiology; Female; Fertilization in Vitro - methods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Growth - physiology; Lactation - physiology; Molecular embryology; Nuclear Transfer Techniques; parturition; Parturition - physiology; Pregnancy; Survival Analysis; Ultrasonography; Animal cloning; Embryonic development; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Growth; Ox; Artiodactyla; Postnatal development; Survival; Ungulata
• ISSN: 0006-3363; 1529-7268
• DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod67.1.334

Central to the success of large animal cloning is the production of healthy animals that can provide products for human health, food, and other animal agriculture applications. We report development of cloned cattle derived from 34 genetically unique, nonembryonic cell lines using nuclear transfer performed between 1 January 1998 and 29 February 2000. Nearly 25% (535/2170) of the recipients receiving reconstructed embryos initiated pregnancy. Overall, 19.8% (106/535) of the initiated pregnancies resulted in live births, while 77% (82/106) of these cattle clones remain healthy and productive today. Although a wide variation in birth weight of clone calves was observed, their growth rates, reproductive performance, and lactation characteristics are similar to that found in noncloned dairy cattle. Our data represent the most comprehensive information on cattle derived from nuclear transfer procedures and indicate that this emerging reproductive technology offers unique opportunities to meet critical needs in both human health care and agriculture.