Differential gene expression patterns in porcine nuclear transfer embryos reconstructed with fetal fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells

Dev Dyn. 2007 Feb;236(2):435-46. doi: 10.1002/dvdy.21042.

Abstract

The present study compared the developmental ability and gene expression pattern at 4-cell, 8-cell, morula, and blastocyst stages of porcine nuclear transfer (NT) embryos from fetal fibroblasts (FFs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), in vitro fertilized (IVF), and in vivo derived embryos. MSC-NT embryos showed enhanced blastocyst formation, higher total cell number, and a low incidence of apoptosis compared to FF-NT embryos. Alterations in the expression pattern of genes implicated in transcription and pluripotency (Oct4, Stat3, Nanog), DNA methylation (Dnmt1, Dnmt3a), histone deacetylation (Hdac2), growth factor signaling, and imprinting (Igf2, Igf2r) and apoptosis (Bax, Bcl2) regulation were observed in NT embryos. The expression of transcripts in MSC-NT embryos more closely followed that of the in vivo derived embryos compared with FF-NT embryos. In conclusion, MSCs with a relatively undifferentiated genome might serve as suitable donors that could be more efficiently reprogrammed to re-activate expression of early embryonic genes in porcine NT.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Antigens, Surface / metabolism
  • Apoptosis / physiology
  • DNA Primers
  • Embryonic Development / genetics
  • Embryonic Development / physiology*
  • Fertilization in Vitro
  • Gene Expression Profiling*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Nuclear Transfer Techniques*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sus scrofa

Substances

  • Antigens, Surface
  • DNA Primers