Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
2053012 FEBS Letters 2006 6 Pages PDF
Abstract

To examine the establishment and maintenance of trophectoderm (TE) lineage in somatic cloned blastocysts, the expression of Cdx2, a key molecule for specification of TE fate, was immunohistochemically examined simultaneously with Oct4 expression. Cloned mouse embryos were made by nuclear transfer using cumulus cells, tail-tip fibroblasts, and embryonic stem cells. After 96 h of culture, the rates of Oct4-expressing blastocysts were as low as 50% and 60% for cumulus and fibroblast clones, respectively. However, regardless of Oct4 expression, the majority of those cloned blastocysts (>90%) normally expressed Cdx2. Thus, even though somatic cloned embryos have reduced potential to produce the inner cell mass lineage, the TE lineage can be established and maintained.

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