Cloning pigs using donor nuclei from differentiated cells

Abstract

An improved method of nuclear transfer involving the transplantation of donor differentiated pig cell nuclei into enucleated pig oocytes is provided. The resultant nuclear transfer units are useful for multiplication of genotypes and transgenic genotypes by the production of fetuses and offspring. Production of genetically engineered or transgenic pig embryos, fetuses and offspring is facilitated by the present method since the differentiated cell source of the donor nuclei can be genetically modified and clonally propagated.

Description

[0001] This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 08 / 888,057, filed Jul. 3, 1997, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 08 / 781,752, filed Jan. 10, 1997, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

[0002] 1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates to cloning procedures in which cell nuclei derived from differentiated pig cells are transplanted into enucleated mammalian oocytes of the same species as the donor nuclei. The nuclei are reprogrammed to direct the development of cloned embryos, which can then be transferred into recipient females to produce fetuses and offspring, or used to produce cultured inner cell mass cells (CICM). The cloned embryos can also be combined with fertilized embryos to produce chimeric embryos, fetuses and / or offspring.

[0004] 2. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The use of ungulate inner cell mass (ICM) cells for nuclear transplantation has also been reported. For example, Collas et al., Mol. Reprod. Dev., 38:264...