Production of cloned sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) embryos by interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer using enucleated pig oocytes

• Published in: Journal of veterinary science (Suwŏn-si, Korea) Vol. 10; no. 4; pp. 285 - 292
• Main Authors: Lee, E.S., Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea, Uddin Bhuiyan, Mohammad Musharraf, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan, Watanabe, Hiroyuki, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan, Matsuoka, Kohji, The Institute of Cetacean Research, Tokyo, Japan, Fujise, Yoshihiro, The Institute of Cetacean Research, Tokyo, Japan, Ishikawa, Hajime, The Institute of Cetacean Research, Tokyo, Japan, Fukui, Yutaka, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) 대한수의학회 01.12.2009; The Korean Society of Veterinary Science
• Subjects: Animals; BALAENOPTERA BOREALIS; Cloning, Organism - veterinary; Culture Media; embryo development; Embryo, Mammalian; interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer; Karyotyping; Nuclear Transfer Techniques - veterinary; Oocytes; Original; pig oocyte; Swine - embryology; Whales - embryology; 수의학; pig oocyte; embryo development; interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer; sei whale
• ISSN: 1229-845X; 1976-555X
• DOI: 10.4142/jvs.2009.10.4.285

In this study, we examined the feasibility of using subzonal cell injection with electrofusion for interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT) to produce sei whale embryos and to improve their developmental capacity by investigating the effect of osmolarity and macromolecules in the culture medium on the in vitro developmental capacity. Hybrid embryos produced by the electrofusion of fetal whale fibroblasts with enucleated porcine oocytes were cultured in modified porcine zygote medium-3 to examine the effects of osmolarity and fetal serum on their in vitro developmental capacity. More than 66% of the whale somatic cells successfully fused with the porcine oocytes following electrofusion. A portion (60~81%) of the iSCNT whale embryos developed to the two- to four-cell stages, but no embryos were able to reach the blastocyst stage. This developmental arrest was not overcome by increasing the osmolarity of the medium to 360 mOsm or by the addition of fetal bovine or fetal whale serum. Our results demonstrate that sei whale-porcine hybrid embryos may be produced by SCNT using subzonal injection and electrofusion. The pig oocytes partly supported the remodeling and reprogramming of the sei whale somatic cell nuclei, but they were unable to support the development of iSCNT whale embryos to the blastocyst stage.