-210 Nottingham - Nottingham eTheses - The University of Nottingham

achieved by fusing cytoplast and karyoplast using electrical or chemical methods, the
reconstructed embryo is then activated, cultured and embryos of good quality are
transferred into surrogate recipients for development to term (Figure 1.1).
Confirmation that offspring obtained by SCNT are genetically identical to the donor
cell has come from microsatellite (Ashworth et al., 1998) and DNA fingerprinting
analyses (Signer et al., 1998). The donor cells for nuclear transfer can
be from
embryos, foetuses and adult animals (i. e. skin fibroblasts).
election of suitable donor cell
Selection of suitable recipient cell
Enucleation
Cell transfer
ou let
Fusion and activation
Activated cou plet
In vitro embryo culture
fylorulae or blastocyst
Embryo transfer into surrogate recipients
Toned animal
Figure 1.1 Process of nuclear transfer
Nuclear transfer is the transfer of a nucleus from a donor cell (karyoplast) into a recipient
cell (cytoplast), which has had its nuclear genetic material removed (enucleated). A
couplet is made by combining an enucleated recipient cell and a donor cell. The two cells
are then fused by electrical or chemical methods. Fused couplets are then activated and
cultured in vitro until transfer to a surrogate recipient for development to term.
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