ESTABLISHMENT CLUSTER FORMATION OF BIOPSIED SINGLE BLASTOMERE DERIVED FROM 2-CELL AND 8-CELL MOUSE EMBRYO

Abstract

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are a model with great potential in regenerative medicine and study of developmental biology. The knowledge gained in mice can be applied to humans to develop potential methods for many different traits. In this study, ESC-like clusters were obtained from blastomeres biopsied from 2- and 8-cell ICR mouse embryos using the preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) like technique and then cultured in stem cell (SC) culture medium. Afterward, the biopsied blastomeres were cultured in SC medium and observed for morphology development as well as the duration required for ES cluster formation. The studies indicated that over 7 days of culture duration in SC medium, both 2-cell blastomeres and 8-cell blastomeres had the ability to grow into ES clusters. However, it is highlighted that the formation rate of ES cluster derived from 2-cell isolated blastomeres at 13.33% was lower than the one from 8-cell blastomeres at 26.13%. Due to the outcomes, the recovery capacity in the SC medium of 8-cell blastomeres might have been higher than those from 2-cell embryos.