The effect of electrical field strength on activation and development of cloned caprine embryos

The activation procedure used in nuclear transfer (NT) is one of the critical factors affecting the efficiency of animal cloning. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of two electrical field strengths (EFS) for activation on the developmental competence of caprine NT embryos reconstructed from ear skin fibroblasts of adult Alpine does. The NT embryos were obtained by transfer of the quiescent fibroblasts at the fourth passage into the enucleated metaphase II (M II) oocytes. Four to five hours after electrical fusion, the NT-embryos were activated by EFS either at 1.67 or at 2.33 kV/cm and immediately incubated in 6-DMAP (2 mM) for 4 h. The cleavage rate of the NT-embryos activated with 2.33 kV/cm was greater than that activated with 1.67 kV/cm after in vitro culture for 18 h (65.6% versus 19.6%, p < 0.001). No pregnancy was found in 14 recipient does after transferring 51 NT embryos at 1-2 cell stages activated with 1.67 kV/cm. In contrast, two of the seven recipients were pregnant and gave birth to three kids after transferring 61 NT embryos at 1-2 cell stages activated by 2.33 kV/cm. The birth weights of three cloned kids were within the normal range of Alpine goats. However, one kid died 1h after birth while the remaining two are still healthy. DNA analysis by polymerase chain reaction (single-strand conformation polymorphism, SSCP) confirmed that the three kids were genetically identical to the nuclear donor.

Mice immunized with DNA encoding a modified Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A develop protective immunity against exotoxin intoxication

A recombinant plasmid, which contains the Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (PE) gene with a C-terminal deletion, was inserted into expression vector pSecTag Xpress. The expression of this bacterial exotoxin in an animal cell was first demonstrated in 3T3 cell by transient transfection and western blot assay. Recombinant plasmid DNA was then injected intramuscularly to BALB/c mice, anti-PE specific antibodies were found in all animals vaccinated with plasmid containing the PE gene and with 'detoxicated' recombinant PE protein. Mice vaccinated with DNA were protected from the intoxication of lethal dosage of P. aeruginosa exotoxin A. Our results indicated that mice vaccinated with DNA encoding the PE gene could express PE protein in vivo, induced specific immune response, and provided sufficient protective immunity that safeguarded mice from the injection of lethal dosage of PE toxin.