REVIEW PAPER
The effect of mitochondrial genome
on architectural remodeling and epigenetic
reprogramming of donor cell nuclei in mammalian
nuclear transfer-derived embryos
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National Research Institute of Animal Production,
Department of Animal Reproduction Biotechnology,
32-083 Balice, Poland
Publication date: 2005-08-04
Corresponding author
M. Samiec
National Research Institute of Animal Production,
Department of Animal Reproduction Biotechnology,
32-083 Balice, Poland
J. Anim. Feed Sci. 2005;14(3):393-422
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
There are some species-specific epigenetic factors present in the oocyte cytoplasm that may
contribute to nucleo-cytoplasmic incompatibilities either immediately after nuclear transfer (NT) or at
later stages of development. These potential incompatibilities will affect, to some degree, the ultimate
utility of NT technology. It has been demonstrated that maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA
molecules (mtDNAs) accumulated in the mitochondrial reservoirs of recipient-oocyte cytosol play
an important role in nuclear-ooplasmic asynchrony. This asynchrony involves the incompatibility in
epigenetic modifications of somatic genome supporting the developmental program of reconstituted
cybrids. It also involves incompatibility in molecular mechanisms controlling the karyokinesis and
cytokinesis restriction points responsible for coordinated pseudomeiotic to mitotic cycle transition
following activation of the reconstituted oocyte. Moreover, the presence of oocyte-derived mitochondrial
genetic apparatus influences clonal embryo implantation. For that reason, the deleterious effect on
preimplantation development of NT embryos of heterogeneous mtDNA sources arising from possible
mitochondrial heteroplasmy in the reconstructed nuclear-cytoplasmic hybrids, should not be discounted.
That is why, the production of nuclear transfer embryos, foetuses and offspring with precisely defined
constellations of nuclear and/or mitochondrial genome can be valuable for experimentally dissecting the
effects of nuclear and cytoplasmic genetic/epigenetic components as well as the intrauterine environment
on embryonic, foetal, and postnatal development of cloned individuals.
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