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Cloning by somatic nuclear transfer is an inefficient process in which many of the cloned animals died shortly after birth and displayed organ abnormalities. In an effort to determine the possible genetic causes of neonatal death and organ abnormalities, we have examined expression patterns of four genes that modified chromatin (DNMT1, PCAF, MeCP2 and EED) in six organs (heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney and brain) of both neonatal death cloned bovines (n=9) and normal control calves produced by artificial insemination (Al) using real-time quantitative RT-PCR. The effect of the age of the fibroblast donor cell on the gene expression profiles was also investigated. Aberrant expressions of DNMT1 and PCAF were found in some studied tissues, but the expression of MeCP2 and EED had similar levels to those of the normal controls. The expression of DNMT1 showed a higher level in heart, liver and brain of both cloned bovines. A higher expression level of PCAF was seen in heart and liver of both cloned bovines, but a lower level was seen only in spleen of adult fibroblast (AF) cell-derived clones. Our results suggest that aberrant expression in gene that modified chromatins were found in cloned bovine tissues of neonatal death. Because DNMT1 and PCAF play an important role in DNA methylation and histone acetylation on nuclear chromatin respectively, and normal expression of DNMT1 and PCAF is needed for precious reprogramming of donor nuclear, the aberrant transcription patterns of DNMT1 and PCAF in these clones may contribute to the defects of organs reported in neonatal death of clones.

Somatic cell clone technology is a viable approach to preserving endangered livestock and wildlife genetic resources. In the present research, somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) was performed using granulose cells from the critical endangered Chinese red-cross yellow cattle as donor cells. A total of 211 oocytes were manipulated and 166 (79%) of them were successfully enucleated. 112 (67.4%) SCNT embryos were reconstructed, 94 (83%) of them cleaved, and 48 (43%) of them developed to blastocyst stage. SCNT blastocysts were transferred to 6 Holstein recipients, and 2 (33%) of them were found to be pregnant. One of them maintained to term and delivered a calf, whereas another aborted. Effect of different fusion buffer (mannitol vs. Zimmerman fusion buffer) and different activation methods (calcium ionophore+6-DMAP vs. cycloheximide+CB) on fusion rate and development of SCNT embryos were investigated. The results indicated that: (i) on condition of two DC pulses of 2.5 kV/cm for 10 μs each, fusion rates were higher in mannitol solution than in Zimmerman fusion buffer (71% vs. 61%, respectively, p 0.05); (ii) There was no significant difference in development rates to the blastocyst stage for SCNT embryos activated by calcium ionophore+6-DMAP or by cycloheximide+CB (42% vs. 46%, respectively, p>0.05). Microsatellite DNA analysis examining 28 loci confirmed that the cloned calf was genetically identical to the donor Jinan red-cross yellow cattle and different from the recipient females. Growth and reproductive performance of cloned cow were evaluated, and there were no differencei cross-red n it between cloned and normal control Jinan yellow cattle. Furthermore, the cloned yellow cow has delivered a healthy yellow calf.