水晶掌胚状体发生的超微结构观察

对多肉植物水晶掌离体器官从培养前到愈伤组织产生，直至早期胚性细胞、球形胚、鱼雷胚、心形胚、叶状胚等各个时期的胚状体超微结构进行了较为详细的观察。结果表明：水晶掌离体培养胚状体发生过程中细胞质、细胞壁、细胞间隙及胞间连丝、细胞核、液胞、线粒体、内质网、高尔基体、核糖体等细胞结构呈现规律性的变化。     

等温马氏体转变动力学模型的修正

自促发形核机制对于等温马氏体转变的解释是正确的.但是现有几种动力学模型尚存在一些不妥之处.文中给出一种物理意义更为明确的修正模型.     

A simple method for processing individual oocytes and embryos for electron microscopy

A simple method for handling individual specimens that must be processed either for scanning or transmission electron microscopy studies is described. For scanning microscope processing, dehydration is carried out with samples enclosed in small cages made from TAAB capsules in which top and bottom are substituted by plankton nets, and for transmission electron microscopy, samples are pre-embedded in agarose. This procedure significantly reduces mouth pipetting, dissecting microscope observations, is less labour intensive and, most importantly, reduces sample loss.     

A method for exposing the internal anatomy of small and delicate tissues for correlated SEM/TEM studies using polyethylene glycol embedding

A method for preparing and handling large, clean, distortion-free cut surfaces through small and delicate tissues for correlated SEM/TEM examination is described. In this method, tissues are fixed according to conventional protocols; however, instead of critical-point-drying after fixation, tissues are first embedded in polyethylene glycol (PEG), a water-soluble waxy solid. Tissue blocks are easily oriented and sectioned to the desired regions, immersed in a solvent to remove PEG, critical-point-dried, and examined with an SEM. The same tissue blocks can be reworked for TEM by immersing in propylene oxide and embedding in an epoxy resin.     

Generating Cloned Goats by Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer—Molecular Determinants and Application to Transgenics and Biomedicine

The domestic goat (Capra aegagrus hircus), a mammalian species with high genetic merit for production of milk and meat, can be a tremendously valuable tool for transgenic research. This research is focused on the production and multiplication of genetically engineered or genome-edited cloned specimens by applying somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), which is a dynamically developing assisted reproductive technology (ART). The efficiency of generating the SCNT-derived embryos, conceptuses, and progeny in goats was found to be determined by a variety of factors controlling the biological, molecular, and epigenetic events. On the one hand, the pivotal objective of our paper was to demonstrate the progress and the state-of-the-art achievements related to the innovative and highly efficient solutions used for the creation of transgenic cloned does and bucks. On the other hand, this review seeks to highlight not only current goals and obstacles but also future challenges to be faced by the approaches applied to propagate genetically modified SCNT-derived goats for the purposes of pharmacology, biomedicine, nutritional biotechnology, the agri-food industry, and modern livestock breeding.     

泰和乌骨鸡鸡胚抗疲劳作用研究

研究泰和乌骨鸡鸡胚对小鼠抗疲劳作用。200只昆明种雄性小白鼠预饲1w后,随机分为十组,其中实验组为6、10、14日龄的鸡胚分别设4.8、2.4、1.2g/kg·d三个剂量组给小鼠灌胃,对照组灌胃生理盐水,0.4ml/只,连续30d后,测定小白鼠负重游泳时间、肝糖原(HG)、乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)、血尿素氮(BUN)、血乳酸(LD)等指标。结果显示鸡胚能够延长小鼠游泳时间,提高运动后LDH活力及HG的储备量;降低血LD和BUN的含量,提高小鼠运动耐力。10日龄鸡胚功效较好,表明泰和乌骨鸡鸡胚具有增强机体抗疲劳能力。     

Overexpression of miR-101-2 in donor cells improves the early development of Holstein cow somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos

Accumulating studies have suggested that microRNA play a part in regulating multiple cellular processes, such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, the cell cycle, and embryo development. This study explored the effects of miR-101-2 on donor cell physiological status and the development of Holstein cow somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos in vitro. Holstein cow bovine fetal fibroblasts (BFF) overexpressing miR-101-2 were used as donor cells to perform SCNT; then, cleavage rate, blastocyst rate, inner cell mass-to-trophectoderm ratio, and the expression of some development- and apoptosis-related genes in different groups were analyzed. The miR-101-2 suppressed the expression of inhibitor of growth protein 3 (ING3) at mRNA and protein levels, expedited cell proliferation, and decreased apoptosis in BFF, suggesting that ING3, a target gene of miR-101-2, is a potential player in this process. Moreover, by utilizing donor cells overexpressing miR-101-2, the development of bovine SCNT embryos in vitro was significantly enhanced; the apoptotic rate in SCNT blastocysts was reduced, and the inner cell mass-to-trophectoderm ratio and SOX2, POU5F1, and BCL2L1 expression significantly increased, whereas BAX and ING3 expression decreased. Collectively, these findings suggest that miR-101-2 promotes BFF proliferation and vitality, reduces their apoptosis, and improves the early development of SCNT embryos.     

The Rab Geranylgeranyl Transferase Beta Subunit Is Essential for Embryo and Seed Development in Arabidopsis thaliana

Auxin is a key regulator of plant development affecting the formation and maturation of reproductive structures. The apoplastic route of auxin transport engages influx and efflux facilitators from the PIN, AUX and ABCB families. The polar localization of these proteins and constant recycling from the plasma membrane to endosomes is dependent on Rab-mediated vesicular traffic. Rab proteins are anchored to membranes via posttranslational addition of two geranylgeranyl moieties by the Rab Geranylgeranyl Transferase enzyme (RGT), which consists of RGTA, RGTB and REP subunits. Here, we present data showing that seed development in the rgtb1 mutant, with decreased vesicular transport capacity, is disturbed. Both pre- and post-fertilization events are affected, leading to a decrease in seed yield. Pollen tube recognition at the stigma and its guidance to the micropyle is compromised and the seed coat forms incorrectly. Excess auxin in the sporophytic tissues of the ovule in the rgtb1 plants leads to an increased tendency of autonomous endosperm formation in unfertilized ovules and influences embryo development in a maternal sporophytic manner. The results show the importance of vesicular traffic for sexual reproduction in flowering plants, and highlight RGTB1 as a key component of sporophytic-filial signaling.     

Genetic impacts of using female-sorted semen in commercial and nucleus herds

This study was designed to investigate the genetic effects of using sorted semen in a dairy cattle population. Progress was monitored in elite and commercial animals over 20 yr of selection. To study the genetic impact of using sorted semen in commercial herds, a scenario was evaluated in which female-sorted semen was available to commercial herds. Second, to study the genetic impact of using sorted semen in nucleus herds, scenarios were simulated in which female-sorted semen was used only in a centralized nucleus herd, in which multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) took place. Because of the additional advantage of marker-assisted selection when sorted semen was used in nucleus herds, a second scenario was simulated in which both sorted semen and marker-assisted selection were implemented. In the scenario in which female-sorted semen was used in commercial herds, a large genetic advantage was observed early in commercial cows. The average superiority in first-lactation cows exceeded 30% in yr 11, relative to a base scheme with regular semen, but continued to decrease until it reached 9% in yr 20. The increased selection intensity in commercial cows contributed to the genetic merit of future cows (cow-to-cow contribution), but the contribution of the nucleus grew over time and gradually marginalized the cow-to-cow contribution. The genetic advantage of gender control in MOET schemes was minimal except when marker-assisted selection was also available. Two factors that affected the contribution of marker-assisted selection were studied: 1) within- vs. across-family selection of donors, and 2) the number of loci in the quantitative trait locus component. Schemes that selected donors regardless of their family structure were superior, and the quantitative trait locus component with more loci increased the effectiveness of sorted semen. Finally, we studied a reduced MOET scheme in which the number of harvested females was reduced from 42 to 25/yr. The reduced scheme in combination with female-sorted semen was not found to be genetically inferior to the large scheme in combination with regular semen.     

Factors affecting conception rates following artificial insemination or embryo transfer in lactating Holstein cows

The objective of this study was to evaluate the factors that may affect conception rates (CR) following artificial insemination (AI) or embryo transfer (ET) in lactating Holstein cows. Estrous cycling cows producing 33.1 ± 7.2 kg of milk/d received PGF_2α injections and were assigned randomly to 1 of 2 groups (AI or ET). Cows detected in estrus (n = 387) between 48 and 96 h after the PGF_2α injection received AI (n = 227) 12 h after detection of estrus or ET (n = 160) 6 to 8 d later (1 fresh embryo, grade 1 or 2, produced from nonlactating cows). Pregnancy was diagnosed at 28 and 42 d after estrus, and embryonic loss occurred when a cow was pregnant on d 28 but not pregnant on d 42. Ovulation, conception, and embryonic loss were analyzed by a logistic model to evaluate the effects of covariates [days in milk (DIM), milk yield, body temperature (BT) at d 7 and 14 post-AI, and serum concentration of progesterone (P4) at d 7 and 14 post-AI] on the probability of success. The first analysis included all cows that were detected in estrus. The CR of AI and ET were different on d 28 (AI, 32.6% vs. ET, 49.4%) and 42 (AI, 29.1% vs. ET, 38.8%) and were negatively influenced by high BT (d 7) and DIM. The second analysis included only cows with a corpus luteum on d 7. Ovulation rate was 84.8% and was only negatively affected by DIM. Conception rates of AI and ET were different on d 28 (AI, 37.9% vs. ET, 59.4%) and 42 (AI, 33.8% vs. ET, 46.6%) and were negatively influenced by high BT (d 7). The third analysis included only ovulating cows that were 7 d postestrus. Conception rates of AI and ET were different on d 28 (AI, 37.5% vs. ET, 63.2%) and 42 (AI, 31.7% vs. ET, 51.7%) and were negatively influenced by high BT (d 7). There was a positive effect of serum concentration of P4 and a negative effect of milk production on the probability of conception for the AI group but not for the ET group. The fourth analysis was embryonic loss (AI, 10.8% vs. ET, 21.5%). The transfer of fresh embryos is an important tool to increase the probability of conception of lactating Holstein cows because it can bypass the negative effects of milk production and low P4 on the early embryo. The superiority of ET vs. AI is more evident in high-producing cows. High BT measured on d 7 had a negative effect on CR and embryonic retention.