Timing factors affecting blastocyst development in equine somatic cell nuclear transfer.
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In nuclear transfer (NT), exposure of donor cell chromatin to the ooplast cytoplasm may aid reprogramming; however, the length of exposure feasible is limited by the developmental life span of the oocyte. We examined the effect of duration of nucleus-cytoplasmic exposure before activation and of in vitro maturation (IVM) in equine NT. In experiment 1, 24 h IVM and a delay of 2, 5, or 8 h between reconstruction and activation yielded 4%, 15%, and 11% blastocysts, respectively. In experiment 2, a 5-h activation delay yielded 17% and 22% blastocysts with two donor cell lines. In experiment 3, using a 5-h activation delay, the blastocyst rate was significantly higher using oocytes after 20 h IVM than after 24 h IVM; however, only 28% of oocytes were in metaphase II (MII) at 20 h. In experiment 4, oocytes were denuded of cumulus at 20 h, and those in metaphase I (MI) were returned to culture for 3 h (20+3H treatment); blastocyst rates were 30% and 27%, respectively (8-h and 5-h delay to activation, respectively). Four live foals resulted from the transfer of 17 blastocysts (24%) produced using MII oocytes and a 5- or 8-h activation delay. Use of equine oocytes immediately after reaching MII, combined with a longer delay from reconstruction to activation, increased developmental competence after equine NT.