Japanese society of Ova Research

Abstract

Vol.15 No.1

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Cryopreservation of Gene Disrupted Mouse Spermatozoa
JMOR, 15(1) 77-80, 1998
DOI: 10.1274/jmor.15.77
1National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, 2Japan Science and Technology Corporation, and the Institute of Medical Science/The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639 and 3Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Gotemba, Shizuoka 412-8513, Japan

Cryopreservation of mouse spermatozoa has recently become available for use. In this study, we attempted to apply this technique to the maintenance of gene disrupted mouse lines. Cauda epididymides that were taken from Et1tm1Csk and Gktm1Csk mice were minced in 100 μl of a cryopreservation solution which consisted of 18% raffinose and 3% skim milk. Sperm suspensions in plastic straws were cooled rather rapidly by being placed in the gas phase above liquid nitrogen, and then were stored at -196℃. The frozen straws were thawed rapidly being by immersing in a water bath at 30℃. For in vitro fertilization, 1 μl of thawed sperm suspensions from each mouse strain was added directly to oocytes contained in 200 μl of medium. Following pre-incubation of the frozen-thawed spermatozoa, ICR oocytes were introduced into the medium containing the frozen-thawed spermatozoa. The fertilization rates of the oocytes inseminated with Et1tm1Csk and Gktm1Csk frozen-thawed spermatozoa were 71% and 77%, respectively. The development rates into young after embryo transfer were in a range of 32-65%. Progeny tests revealed that the mutated locus/loci were transmitted to the next generation according to the Mendelian law of the inheritance of characteristics. These results indicate that cryopreservation of spermatozoa provides an effective alternative to embryo freezing for maintenance of gene disrupted mouse strains.

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