A cloned toy poodle produced from somatic cells derived from an aged female dog

Theriogenology. 2008 Mar 15;69(5):556-63. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2007.11.002. Epub 2008 Feb 19.

Abstract

To date, dogs have been cloned with somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), using donor cells derived from large-breed dogs 2 months to 3 years of age. The objective of the present study was to use SCNT to produce a small-breed dog from ear fibroblasts of an aged poodle, using large-breed oocyte donors and surrogate females, and to determine the origin of its mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the length of its telomeres. Oocytes were derived from large-breed donors, matured in vivo, collected by flushing oviducts, and reconstructed with somatic cells derived from an aged (14-year-old) female toy poodle. Oocytes and donor cells were fused by electric stimuli, activated chemically, and transferred into the oviducts of large-breed recipient females. Overall, 358 activated couplets were surgically transferred into the oviducts of 20 recipient dogs. Two recipients became pregnant; only one maintained pregnancy to term, and a live puppy (weighing 190 g) was delivered by Caesarean section. The cloned poodle was phenotypically and genetically identical to the nuclear donor dog; however, its mtDNA was from the oocyte donor, and its mean telomere length was not significantly different from that of the nuclear donor. In summary, we demonstrated that a small-breed dog could be cloned by transferring activated couplets produced by fusion of somatic cells from a small-breed, aged donor female with enucleated in-vivo-matured oocytes of large-breed females, and transferred into the oviduct of large-breed recipient female dogs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Cesarean Section / veterinary
  • Cloning, Organism / methods
  • Cloning, Organism / veterinary*
  • DNA, Mitochondrial / chemistry
  • DNA, Mitochondrial / genetics
  • Dogs / genetics
  • Dogs / physiology*
  • Embryo Transfer / veterinary
  • Female
  • Microsatellite Repeats / genetics
  • Nuclear Transfer Techniques / veterinary*
  • Oocytes / physiology*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Pregnancy
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Telomere / genetics
  • Telomere / physiology

Substances

  • DNA, Mitochondrial