Understanding totipotency acquisition and early embryonic development in non-human primates

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Program of totipotency: From decoding to designing
• Project/Area Number: 19H05759
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: Central Institute for Experimental Animals
• Principal Investigator: Sasaki Erika 公益財団法人実験動物中央研究所, マーモセット医学生物学研究部, 部長 (70390739)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: Marmoset / embryo / scNT / embryo culture / Chimera

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to construct a novel developmental engineering technology using common marmosets to understand the acquisition of pluripotency and early embryonic development. First, fertilized egg clones were produced and pups were obtained, which led to the development of marmoset somatic cell nuclear transfer technology. By examining inhibitor conditions, the blastocyst acquisition rate and embryo quality increased, and ES cells were successfully established. In the creation of chimeric embryos, ICM transfer conditions were found that resulted in stable attachment of the embryos to host cells. Furthermore, a pseudo-implantation embryo culture method for marmoset embryos was established, and it became clear that embryos can develop in vitro to Carnegie stage 6. We found that the embryonic developmental fate could be changed by this embryo culture method or that the adhesion ability of the embryo changed depending on the time of action using MEK inhibitors.

Free Research Field

animal

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

マーモセットの受精卵クローン技術、体細胞核移植技術、キメラ胚作製技術、疑似着床胚培養技術を確立した事により、マーモセット胚の発生運命を実験的に操作し、in vitroで観察する事が可能となったため、全能性獲得と初期胚発生の理解に向けた研究が非ヒト霊長類でも可能となった。これにより、習慣性流産や不妊症などの病気発症のメカニズム解明に資する技術となると期待される。