Abstract
We have developed a method to produce live somatic clones in the rabbit, one of the mammalian species considered up to now as difficult to clone. To do so, we have modified current cloning protocols proven successful in other species by taking into account both the rapid kinetics of the cell cycle of rabbit embryos and the narrow window of time for their implantation after transfer into foster recipients. Although our method still has a low level of efficiency, it has produced several clones now proven to be fertile. Our work indicates that cloning can probably be carried out successfully in any mammalian species by taking into account physiological features of their oocytes and embryos. Our results will contribute to extending the use of rabbit models for biomedical research.
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Acknowledgements
We thank C. Thibault for his constant support to our work, C. Viebahn for stimulating discussions, the staff from our rabbit facility for their critical role in the care of recipients and cloned kits, C. Poirier for assistance in embryo transfer, E. Campion for the recovery and fixation of D8 embryos, and C. Young and B. Nicolas for help during the preparation of the manuscript. This work was supported by a grant from the Association Française de Lutte contre la Mucoviscidose (AFLM).
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Chesné, P., Adenot, P., Viglietta, C. et al. Cloned rabbits produced by nuclear transfer from adult somatic cells. Nat Biotechnol 20, 366–369 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0402-366
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0402-366
