First published online May 5, 2004
Development 131, 1006e (2004)
© The Company of Biologists Limited
Primate cloning: not a spindle problem
Since 1997, when Dolly the sheep was born, many animal species have been
cloned by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). However, although a source of
genetically identical non-human primates for biomedical research would be
invaluable, SCNT has yielded no viable primates so far. On
p. 2475, Ng et al.
investigate the first cell cycle after SCNT in Long-tailed Macaques
(Macaca fascicularis). They show that a spindle of unduplicated
premature condensed chromosome (PCC spindle) can form from donor cells
injected into enucleated M. fascicularis oocytes. Furthermore, after
oocyte activation, cell division can occur and reconstituted embryos can
establish pregnancies, although these fail to progress to term. These data
challenge the recent controversial proposal that SCNT failure in primates
results from the loss during egg enucleation of the molecular signals
necessary for spindle formation, but support the idea that incomplete nuclear
reprogramming underlies SCNT failure.
Related articles in Development:
- The first cell cycle after transfer of somatic cell nuclei in a non-human primate
- Soon-Chye Ng, Naiqing Chen, Wan-Yue Yip, Swee-Lian Liow, Guo-Qing Tong, Barbara Martelli, Lay Geok Tan, and Paolo Martelli
Development 2004 131: 2475-2484.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
