This research was supported [in part] by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Special thanks to Shyamal Peddada for statistical analysis. We also wish to thank Humphrey Yao, Gary Bird, and Yuki Arao for review of this manuscript, and Franco DeMayo for his continued support and advice.

All operations were done as part of the normal operation of the NIEHS Knock Out Mouse Core facility. All mice were kept on a 12:12 h light:dark cycle, and were feed a diet of NIH-31 and water ad libitum. All experiments were performed in accordance with the Animal Care and Use Committee of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
1. Animal Preparation
<ol>
	<li>Breed donor mice, B6(Cg)-Tyr&#60;c-2J&#62;/J female mice at 8 - 10 weeks of age naturally to B6(Cg)-Tyr&#60;c-2J&#62;/J male mice between 8 and 26 weeks of age. Check plugs visually the following morning (E0.5).</li>
	<li>Breed recipient mice, Swiss Webster female mice between 6 and 9 weeks of age are naturally bred to vasectomized Swiss Webster male mice. Check plugs visually the following morning (E0.5).</li>
</ol>
2. ES Cell Preparation
<ol>
	<li>For 129-derieved AB2.2 ES cells, culture cells in DMEM supplemented with 15% FBS, 1% Glutamine, 1% Penn/strep, and 0.1% &#946;-mercaptoethanol. Culture all other ES cells per ES cell supplier&#39;s instructions, using their recommended protocols.</li>
</ol>
3. Embryo Collection
<ol>
	<li>Animal Dissection
	<ol>
		<li>Prepare several 60 mm dishes, approximately 1 per 5 mice plus 3 extra, with 10 mL blast collection media (BCM) (10% FBS IN DMEM), and one 4 well dish with 0.5 mL BCM per well. Equilibrate at 37 &#176;C, 5% CO2.</li>
		<li>Euthanize B6(Cg)-Tyr&#60;c-2J&#62;/J female mice at E3.5 using CO2 asphyxiation, with a flow rate of 10%.</li>
		<li>After euthanizing, place the mice in the supine position, and wet the abdomen thoroughly with 70% ethanol.</li>
		<li>Make the first incision through the skin only, at the midpoint of the abdomen, making the opening as wide as possible. Next open through the abdominal wall, again making the incision as wide as possible. 
		NOTE: Doing this in two steps helps reduce or eliminate fur contamination.</li>
		<li>Starting at an ovary, and holding the fat pad of the ovary with blunt forceps, carefully remove the ovary, oviduct, and uterus, taking extra care to keep the adipose tissue to a minimum. Remove the uterus as one single unit, or as individual horns, with no change in the following procedure.</li>
		<li>After removal, place the uterus in a 60 mm dish containing blast collection media.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Embryo Removal
	<ol>
		<li>Prepare a 10 mL syringe filled with BCM, and fit with a 25 G needle.</li>
		<li>One uterus at a time, remove them from the holding dish of BCM, blot them on a tissue to remove excess blood, and place in a 60 mm dish under a low magnification dissecting microscope.</li>
		<li>While carefully and gently holding the uterus just below the distal end (near the oviduct) with dissecting forceps, insert the needle in to the center of the uterus in as parallel a plane as possible. Insert the needle just beyond the tips of the forceps.</li>
		<li>Apply some pressure to the forceps to hold the uterus to the needle, and expel approximately 1 mL of BCM through the horn of the uterus. 
		NOTE: Care must be taken at this step, as too much pressure on the syringe will cause an uncontrollable stream of media, often leaving the dish.</li>
		<li>After flushing the uterus, up to 5 whole uteri per 60 mm dish, place the dish back in the incubator until collection.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Embryo Collection
	<ol>
		<li>Using a hand drawn glass pipette and a mouth pipette apparatus, collect blastocysts under a dissecting scope, set between 25X and 35X. (Figure 1). 
		NOTE: Mouth pipette apparatus consists of 30 - 40 cm of flexible tubing, under 5 mm I.D. Insert a 1, 000 &#181;L pipette tip, point first in to one end, and affix the glass pipette in it. Add a syringe filter to the other end, with an attached 1 cc syringe barrel, no plunger, to act as a mouth piece.</li>
		<li>Removing dishes from the incubator, and using a grid pattern, examine every part of the dish for embryos. Embryos are picked up individually and place on the drop of BCM in a secondary dish.</li>
		<li>After collecting from all dishes, wash the embryos once more in a drop of fresh BCM, and then place in the 4 well dish to await injection.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
4. Embryo Injection
<ol>
	<li>Pick up ES cells individually with the injection needle based on confirmation.
	<ol>
		<li>Prepare an injection dish by adding 5 - 7 mL of injection media (DMEM, 10% FBS and 20 mM HEPES) to a glass bottom injection dish. Injections are done at room temperature.</li>
		<li>Using either an air or oil microinjector, apply vacuum to the injection needle to draw ES cells in. Take care to keep as little space as possible between cells. Count the ES cells here, or at the injection step.</li>
		<li>Select ES cells that are medium to small in size compared to the general population of cells, with a smooth surface, and without obvious defects such as vacuoles. 
		NOTE: ES Cell populations vary greatly in morphological quality, and the standards used will need to adjust with them.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Inject embryos with approximately 15 ES cells (Figure 1).
	<ol>
		<li>Attach a holding pipette tip to a second air microinjector, and position an embryo near the opening of the holder. Apply vacuum to secure the embryo to the holder.</li>
		<li>Adjust for the z axis by moving the holding pipette up or down so that the embryo is just touching the slide, followed by fine focusing on the zona. Next, adjust the Z axis of the injection needle so that ES cells near the tip are in focus.</li>
		<li>Adjust the embryo now by gently pushing from the injection needle at the top or bottom, rotating it to put the ICM in the desired position.</li>
		<li>Insert the injection needle through the zona, and either the ICM or the trophoblast, using a firm but controlled push. Apply a slight pressure to the microinjector of the injection needle to help keep the blastocoel from collapsing.</li>
		<li>Once the needle has penetrated the blastocoel, apply pressure from the microinjector to transfer ES cells to the blastocoel of the embryo. Pause briefly as the bevel of the needle starts to exit the embryo to allow the pressure in the embryo to return to normal, while still retaining the cells. 
		NOTE: Reference group ES cells were injected normally, following a traditional ES cell injection protocol9, taking care not to touch the ICM. ES cells were also injected through the ICM, pushing the needle directly through the ICM (TICM) (Figure 2, Supplemental movie).</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
5. Transfer of eEmbryos
<ol>
	<li>Transfer embryos to Swiss Webster mice at E2.5, using a non-surgical embryo transfer device, per the manufacture&#39;s procedures. This non-surgical procedure requires no anesthesia or special post-op care. House mice individually after the transfer of embryos, and through delivery and subsequent weaning.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Cong, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Multiplex+Genome+Engineering+Using+CRISPR/Cas+Systems.">Multiplex Genome Engineering Using CRISPR/Cas Systems.</a> Science. 339 (6), 819-823 (2013).</li><li>Mali, P., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=RNA-guided+human+genome+engineering+via+Cas9.">RNA-guided human genome engineering via Cas9.</a> Science. 339 (6), 823-826 (2013).</li><li>Friedel, R., Seisenberger, C., Kaloff, C., Wurst, W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=EUCOMM+the+European+Conditional+Mouse+Mutagenesis+Program.">EUCOMM the European Conditional Mouse Mutagenesis Program.</a> Brief Funct Genomic Proteomic. 6 (3), 180-185 (2007).</li><li>Austin, C. P., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+knockout+mouse+project.">The knockout mouse project.</a> Nat Genet. 36 (9), 921-924 (2004).</li><li>Coleman, J. L., Brennan, K., Ngo, T., Balaji, P., Graham, R. M., Smith, N. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rapid+Knockout+and+Reporter+Mouse+Line+Generation+and+Breeding+Colony+Establishment+Using+EUCOMM+Conditional-Ready+Embryonic+Stem+Cells:+A+Case+Study.">Rapid Knockout and Reporter Mouse Line Generation and Breeding Colony Establishment Using EUCOMM Conditional-Ready Embryonic Stem Cells: A Case Study.</a> Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 30, 105 (2015).</li><li>Nagy, A., Rossant, J., Nagy, R., Abramow-Newerly, W., Roder, J. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Derivation+of+completely+cell+culture-derived+mice+from+early-passage+embryonic+stem+cells.">Derivation of completely cell culture-derived mice from early-passage embryonic stem cells.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 90 (18), 8424-8428 (1993).</li><li>Eggan, K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Male+and+female+mice+derived+from+the+same+embryonic+stem+cell+clone+by+tetraploid+embryo+complementation.">Male and female mice derived from the same embryonic stem cell clone by tetraploid embryo complementation.</a> Nat Biotechnol. 20 (5), 455-459 (2002).</li><li>Eggan, K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hybrid+vigor,+fetal+overgrowth,+and+viability+of+mice+derived+by+nuclear+cloning+and+tetraploid+embryo+complementation.">Hybrid vigor, fetal overgrowth, and viability of mice derived by nuclear cloning and tetraploid embryo complementation.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 98 (11), 6209-6214 (2001).</li><li>Eakin, G. S., Hadjantonakis, A. K., Papaioannou, V. E., Behringer, R. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Developmental+potential+and+behavior+of+tetraploid+cells+in+the+mouse+embryo.">Developmental potential and behavior of tetraploid cells in the mouse embryo.</a> Dev Biol. 288 (1), 150-159 (2005).</li><li>Huang, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Efficient+production+of+mice+from+embryonic+stem+cells+injected+into+four-+or+eight-cell+embryos+by+piezo+micromanipulation.">Efficient production of mice from embryonic stem cells injected into four- or eight-cell embryos by piezo micromanipulation.</a> Stem Cells. 26 (7), 1883-1890 (2008).</li><li>Poueymirou, W. 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The authors have no competing interests to disclose.

It has long been thought that any disturbance of the ICM could lead to mortality, in fact, current blastocyst microinjection protocols still warn of this12,13. What we have shown here is that microinjection through the ICM is not detrimental to the embryo, and increases the yield of chimeras.
The exact mechanism for this effect has not been identified. However, the mechanical disruption of the ICM, and the accompanying hypoblast, shoul...

For nearly 25 years, the creation of genetically targeted mice has been a slow process, often hampered by a bottleneck at the blastocysts ES cell microinjection stage for the generation of germline transmitting chimeras. Recent advancements, including CRISPR/Cas91,2 targeting in ES cells and high-throughput ES cell generation consortiums like KOMP, have improved the generation/availability of genetically modified ES cells. However, the generation of germline chimeras remains a bottleneck in creating genetically modified mice from these ES cells3,4. High-throughput ES cell generation projects have been plagued by high variability in ES cell quality, which is critical for successful creation of germline chimeras. Additionally, some of the commonly utilized ES cell lines are known for high aneuploidy, and difficult production of germline competent chimeras5.
Many methods have been developed for creating mice with either a higher chimera, or completely ES cell derived mice6,7,8,9,10. While each of these systems has its own merits, they also have their shortcomings. The generation of tetraploid chimeras, while generating 100% ES cell derived mice, is inefficient, and generally limited to outbred lines 5,6. Newer methods of injecting morula can yield high percentage chimeras, approaching 100%, but generally require significant additional equipment (lasers or piezos) and training10,11. In laboratories where these techniques are already in place, this new methodology may not be necessary.
This study&#39;s objective was to find a method that uses common techniques and readily available equipment to increase the rate of chimera generation, increasing the chance of germline transmission of the mutant allele to establish the subsequent mouse colony.

<table><tbody><tr><td>ES Cell injection needle</td><td>Humagen</td><td>MSC-20-0</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>NSET device</td><td>Paratechs</td><td>60010</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>DMEM</td><td>Gibco (life technologies)</td><td>11965-092</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>FBS</td><td>Gibco (life technologies)</td><td>10439-024</td><td>lots should be individually tested for ES Cell compatibility.</td></tr><tr><td>HEPES</td><td>Sigma</td><td>H0887</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>&amp;#946;-mercaptoethanol</td><td>Sigma</td><td>M7522</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Micro manipulator</td><td>Leica</td><td>Micro manipulator</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>micro injector</td><td>Eppendorf AG</td><td>Cell Tram Air 5176</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Microscope</td><td>Leica</td><td>DM IRB</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>4 well dish</td><td>Thermo Scientific</td><td>176740</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>60 mm dish</td><td>Sarstedt</td><td>83.3901</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>B6(Cg)-Tyr&amp;#60;c-2J&amp;#62;/J</td><td>Jackson Labs, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA</td><td>000058</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Swiss Webster mice</td><td>Taconic, USA</td><td>Tac:SW</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Injection Dish</td><td>MatTek Corp.</td><td>P50G-0-30-F</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

trans-inner cell mass injection of embryonic stem cells leads to higher chimerism rates

In an effort to increase efficiency in the creation of genetically modified mice via ES Cell methodologies, we present an adaptation to the current blastocyst injection protocol. Here we report that a simple rotation of the embryo, and injection through Trans-Inner cell mass (TICM) increased the percentage of chimeric mice from 31% to 50%, with no additional equipment or further specialized training. 26 different inbred clones, and 35 total clones were injected over a period of 9 months. There was no significant difference in either pregnancy rate or recovery rate of embryos between traditional injection techniques and TICM. Therefore, without any major alteration in the injection process and a simple positioning of the blastocyst and injecting through the ICM, releasing the ES cells into the blastocoel cavity can potentially improve the quantity of chimeric production and subsequent germline transmission.

Treating cell-line as the random effect, a mixed effects linear model was used to analyze the data in the software (e.g. SAS (version 9.2)). Each analysis controlled for the number of embryos transferred and the cell line. The second analysis also controlled for the number of pups that survived.
For this study, each ES Cell line and clone was injected both with traditional and TICM techniques, alternating between the two methods...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Trans-inner Cell Mass Injection of Embryonic Stem Cells Leads to Higher Chimerism Rates at JoVE.com

Trans-inner Cell Mass Injection of Embryonic Stem Cells Leads to Higher Chimerism Rates

Here we present a protocol to increase chimera production without the use of new equipment. A simple orientation change of the embryo for injection can increase the number of embryos produced, and potentially reduce the timeline to germline transmission.

In an effort to increase efficiency in the creation of genetically modified mice via ES Cell methodologies, we present an adaptation to the current ...

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10.2K Views.  NIEHS/NIH. Here we present a protocol to increase chimera production without the use of new equipment. A simple orientation change of the embryo for injection can increase the number of embryos produced, and potentially reduce the timeline to germline transmission.

Video: Trans-inner Cell Mass Injection of Embryonic Stem Cells Leads to Higher Chimerism Rates

Transnuclear Mice with Pre-defined T Cell Receptor Specificities Against Toxoplasma gondii Obtained Via SCNT

Lymphocytes, such as T cells, undergo genetic V(D)J recombination, to generate a receptor with a certain specificity1. Mice transgenic for a rearranged antigen-specific T cell receptor (TCR) have been an indispensable tool to study T cell development and function. However, such TCRs are usually isolated from the relevant T cells after long-term culture often following repeated antigen stimulation, which unavoidably selects for T cells with high affinity. Random genomic integration of the TCR &alpha;- and &beta;-chain and expression from non-endogenous promoters can lead to variations in expression level and kinetics.
Epigenetic reprogramming via somatic cell nuclear transfer provides a tool to generate embryonic stem cells and mice from any cell of interest. Consequently, when SCNT is applied to T cells of known specificity, these genetic V(D)J rearrangements are transferred to the SCNT-embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and the mice derived from them, while epigenetic marks are reset. We have demonstrated that T cells with pre-defined specificities against Toxoplasma gondii can be used to generate mouse models that express the specific TCR from their endogenous loci, without experimentally introduced genetic modification. The relative ease and speed with which such transnuclear models can be obtained holds promise for the construction of other disease models.

Transnuclear Mice with Pre-defined T Cell Receptor Specificities Against Toxoplasma gondii Obtained Via SCNT

We demonstrate here that epigenetic reprogramming via Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) can be used as a tool to generate mouse models with pre-defined T cell receptor (TCR) specificities. These transnuclear mice express the corresponding TCR from their endogenous locus under the control of the endogenous promoter.

Lymphocytes, such as T cells, undergo genetic V(D)J recombination, to generate a receptor with a certain specificity1. Mice transgenic for a rearranged ...

Immunology and Infection

Methods for Precisely Localized Transfer of Cells or DNA into Early Postimplantation Mouse Embryos

Manipulation and culture of early mouse embryos is a powerful yet largely under-utilized technology enhancing the value of this model system. Conversely, cell culture has been widely used in developmental biology studies. However, it is important to determine whether in vitro cultured cells truly represent in vivo cell types. Grafting cells into embryos, followed by an assessment of their contribution during development is a useful method to determine the potential of in vitro cultured cells. In this study, we describe a method for grafting cells into a defined site of early postimplantation mouse embryos, followed by ex vivo culture. We also introduce an optimized electroporation method that uses glass capillaries of known diameter, allowing precise localization and adjustment of the number of cells receiving exogenous DNA with both high transfection efficiency and low cell death. These techniques, which do not require any specialized equipment, render experimental manipulations of the gastrulation and early organogenesis-stage mouse embryo possible, allowing analysis of commitment in cultured cell subpopulations and the effect of genetic manipulations in situ on cell differentiation.

We demonstrate a method for grafting cultured cells into defined sites of early mouse embryos to determine their in vivo potential. We also introduce an optimized electroporation method that uses glass capillaries of known diameter, allowing the precise delivery of exogenous DNA into a few cells in the embryos.

Manipulation and culture of early mouse embryos is a powerful yet largely under-utilized technology enhancing the value of this model system. Conversely, ...

Developmental Biology

Combinational Treatment of Trichostatin A and Vitamin C Improves the Efficiency of Cloning Mice by Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) provides a unique opportunity to directly produce a cloned animal from a donor cell, and it requires the use of skillful techniques. Additionally, the efficiencies of cloning have remained low since the successful production of cloned animals, especially mice. There have been many attempts to improve the cloning efficiency, and trichostatin A (TSA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, has been widely used to enhance the efficiency of cloning. Here, we report a dramatically improved cloning method in mice. This somatic cell nuclear transfer method involves usage of Hemagglutinating virus of Japan Envelope (HVJ-E), which enables easy manipulation. Moreover, the treatment using two small molecules, TSA and vitamin C (VC), with deionized bovine serum albumin (dBSA), is highly effective for embryonic development. This approach requires neither additional injection nor genetic manipulation, and thus presents a simple, suitable method for practical use. This method could become a technically feasible approach for researchers to produce genetically modified animals from cultured cells. Furthermore, it might be a useful way for the rescue of endangered animals via cloning.

We describe a dramatically improved method for mouse cloning using trichostatin A, vitamin C, and deionized bovine serum albumin. We show a simplified, reproducible protocol that supports efficient development of cloned embryos. Hence, this method could become a standardized procedure for mouse cloning.

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) provides a unique opportunity to directly produce a cloned animal from a donor cell, and it requires the use of ...

Tissue Targeted Embryonic Chimeras: Zebrafish Gastrula Cell Transplantation

Certain fundamental questions in the field of developmental biology can only be answered when cells are placed in novel environments or when small groups of cells in a larger context are altered.  Watching how one cell interacts with and behaves in a unique environment is essential to characterizing cell functions.  Determining how the localized misexpression of a specific protein influences surrounding cells provides insightful information on the roles that protein plays in a variety of developmental processes.  Our lab uses the zebrafish model system to uniquely combine genetic approaches with classical transplantation techniques to generate genotypic or phenotypic chimeras.  We study neuron-glial cell interactions during the formation of forebrain commissures in zebrafish. This video describes a method that allows our lab to investigate the role of astroglial populations in the diencephalon and the roles of specific guidance cues that influence projecting axons as they cross the midline. Due to their transparency zebrafish embryos are ideal models for this type of ectopic cell placement or localized gene misexpression. Tracking transplanted cells can be accomplished using a vital dye or a transgenic fish line expressing a fluorescent protein. We demonstrate here how to prepare donor embryos with a vital dye tracer for transplantation, as well as how to extract and transplant cells from one gastrula staged embryo to another.  We present data showing ectopic GFP+ transgenic cells within the forebrain of zebrafish embryos and characterize the location of these cells with respect to forebrain commissures.  In addition, we show laser scanning confocal timelapse microscopy of Alexa 594 labeled cells transplanted into a GFP+ transgenic host embryo.  These data provide evidence that gastrula staged transplantation enables the targeted positioning of ectopic cells to address a variety of questions in Developmental Biology.

Zebrafish cell transplantation enables the combination of genetics and embryology to generate tissue specific chimeras. This video demonstrates gastrula staged cell transplantations that have allowed our lab to investigate the roles of astroglial populations and specific guidance cues during commissure formation in the forebrain.

Certain fundamental questions in the field of developmental biology can only be answered when cells are placed in novel environments or when small groups ...

Intravenous and Intra-amniotic In Utero Transplantation in the Murine Model

In utero transplantation (IUT) is a unique and versatile mode of therapy that can be used to introduce stem cells, viral vectors, or any other substances early in the gestation. The rationale behind IUT for therapeutic purposes is based on the small size of the fetus, the fetal immunologic immaturity, the accessibility and proliferative nature of the fetal stem or progenitor cells, and the potential to treat a disease or the onset of symptoms prior to birth. Taking advantage of these normal developmental properties of the fetus, the delivery of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) via an IUT has the potential to treat congenital hematologic disorders such as sickle cell disease, without the required myeloablative or immunosuppressive conditioning required for postnatal HSC transplants. Similarly, the accessibility of progenitor cells in multiple organs during development potentially allows for a more efficient targeting of stem/progenitor cells following an IUT of viral vectors for gene therapy or genome editing. Additionally, IUT can be used to study normal developmental processes including, but not limited to, the development of immunologic tolerance. The murine model provides a valuable and affordable means to understanding the potential and limitations of IUT prior to pre-clinical large animal studies and an eventual clinical application. Here, we describe a protocol for performing an IUT in the murine fetus through intravenous and intra-amniotic routes. This protocol has been used successfully to elucidate the necessary conditions and mechanisms behind in utero hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, tolerance induction, and in utero gene therapy.

Intravenous and Intra-amniotic In Utero Transplantation in the Murine Model

We describe a protocol for performing an in utero transplantation (IUT) through intravenous and intra-amniotic routes of injection in the murine model. This protocol can be used to introduce cells, viral vectors, and other substances into the unique immune-tolerant fetal environment.

In utero transplantation (IUT) is a unique and versatile mode of therapy that can be used to introduce stem cells, viral vectors, or any other substances ...

Microinjection-based System for In Vivo Implantation of Embryonic Cardiomyocytes in the Avian Embryo

Interpreting the relative impact of cell autonomous patterning versus extrinsic microenvironmental influence on cell lineage determination represents a general challenge in developmental biology research. In the embryonic heart, this can be particularly difficult as regional differences in the expression of transcriptional regulators, paracrine/juxtacrine signaling cues, and hemodynamic force are all known to influence cardiomyocyte maturation. A simplified method to alter a developing cardiomyocyte's molecular and biomechanical microenvironment would, therefore, serve as a powerful technique to examine how local conditions influence cell fate and function. To address this, we have optimized a method to physically transplant juvenile cardiomyocytes into ectopic locations in the heart or the surrounding embryonic tissue. This allows us to examine how microenvironmental conditions influence cardiomyocyte fate transitions at single cell resolution within the intact embryo. Here, we describe a protocol in which embryonic myocytes can be isolated from a variety of cardiac sub-domains, dissociated, fluorescently labeled, and microinjected into host embryos with high precision. Cells can then be directly analyzed in situ using a variety of imaging and histological techniques. This protocol is a powerful alternative to traditional grafting experiments that can be prohibitively difficult in a moving tissue such as the heart. The general outline of this method can also be adapted to a variety of donor tissues and host environments, and its ease of use, low cost, and speed make it a potentially useful application for a variety of developmental studies.

In this method, embryonic cardiac tissues are surgically microdissected, dissociated, fluorescently labeled, and implanted into host embryonic tissues. This provides a platform for studying the individual or tissue level developmental organization under ectopic hemodynamic conditions, and/or altered paracrine/juxtacrine environments.

Interpreting the relative impact of cell autonomous patterning versus extrinsic microenvironmental influence on cell lineage determination represents a ...

Dechorionation of Medaka Embryos and Cell Transplantation for the Generation of Chimeras

Medaka is a small egg-laying freshwater fish that allows both genetic and embryological analyses and is one of the three vertebrate model organisms in which genome-wide phenotype-driven mutant screens were carried out 1. Divergence of functional overlap of related genes between medaka and zebrafish allows identification of novel phenotypes that are unidentifiable in a single species 2, thus medaka and zebrafish are complementary for genetic dissection of the vertebrate genome functions. Manipulation of medaka embryos, such as dechorionation, mounting embryos for imaging and cell transplantation, are key procedures to work on both medaka and zebrafish in a laboratory. Cell transplantation examines cell autonomy of medaka mutations. Chimeras are generated by transplanting labeled cells from donor embryos into unlabeled recipient embryos. Donor cells can be transplanted to specific areas of the recipient embryos based on the fate maps 3 so that clones from transplanted cells can be integrated in the tissue of interest during development. Due to the hard chorion and soft embryos, manipulation of medaka embryos is more involved than in zebrafish. In this video, we show detailed procedures to manipulate medaka embryos.

Due to the hard chorion and soft embryos, manipulation of medaka embryos is more involved than in zebrafish. This video shows step-by-step procedures for how to manipulate medaka embryos, including dechorionation, mounting in agarose for imaging and cell transplantation for the production of chimeras. These procedures are essential to use medaka and zebrafish in a laboratory to take full advantage of their complementary features for the genetic dissection of vertebrate genome functions.

Medaka is a small egg-laying freshwater fish that allows both genetic and embryological analyses and is one of the three vertebrate model organisms in ...

Xenotransplantation of Human Stem Cells into the Chicken Embryo

The chicken embryo is a classical animal model for studying normal embryonic and fetal development and for xenotransplantation experiments to study the behavior of cells in a standardized in vivo environment. The main advantages of the chicken embryo include low cost, high accessibility, ease of surgical manipulation and lack of a fully developed immune system. Xenotransplantation into chicken embryos can provide valuable information about cell proliferation, differentiation and behavior, the responses of cells to signals in defined embryonic tissue niches, and tumorigenic potential. Transplanting cells into chicken embryos can also be a step towards transplantation experiments in other animal models. Recently the chicken embryo has been used to evaluate the neurogenic potential of human stem and progenitor cells following implantation into neural anlage1-6. In this video we document the entire procedure for transplanting human stem cells into the developing central nervous system of the chicken embryo. The procedure starts with incubation of fertilized eggs until embryos of the desired age have developed. The eggshell is then opened, and the embryo contrasted by injecting dye between the embryo and the yolk. Small lesions are made in the neural tube using microsurgery, creating a regenerative site for cell deposition that promotes subsequent integration into the host tissue. We demonstrate injections of human stem cells into such lesions made in the part of the neural tube that forms the hindbrain and the spinal cord, and into the lumen of the part of the neural tube that forms the brain. Systemic injections into extraembryonic veins and arteries are also demonstrated as an alternative way to deliver cells to vascularized tissues including the central nervous system. Finally we show how to remove the embryo from the egg after several days of further development and how to dissect the spinal cord free for subsequent physiological, histological or biochemical analyses.

In this paper we present a method for transplanting human stem cells into various regions of the central nervous system of the chicken embryo. This provides an in vivo model for assessing the proliferation and differentiation of various types of human stem cells in embryonic tissue environments.

The chicken embryo is a classical animal model for studying normal embryonic and fetal development and for xenotransplantation experiments to study the ...

Single Cell Transfection in Chick Embryos

A central theme in developmental biology is the diversification of lineages and the elucidation of underlying molecular mechanisms. This entails a thorough analysis of the fates of single cells under normal and experimental conditions. To this end, transfection methods that target single progenitors are a prerequisite. We describe here a technically straightforward method for transfecting single cells in chicken tissues in-ovo, allowing reliable lineage tracing as well as genetic manipulation. Specific tissue domains are targeted within the somite or neural tube, and DNA is injected directly into the epithelium of interest, resulting in sporadic transfection of single cells. Using reporters, clonal populations may consequently be traced for up to three days, and behavior of genetically manipulated clonal populations can be compared with that of controls. This method takes advantage of the accessibility of the chick embryo along with emerging tools for genetic manipulation. We compare and discuss its advantages over the widely-used electroporation method, and possible applications and use in additional in-vivo models are also suggested. We advocate the use of this method as a significant addition and complement for existing lineage tracing and genetic interference tools.

Using fine tip micropipettes we inject plasmid DNA into subdomains of chicken somites or neural tubes. The concentration of the plasmid is adjusted to generate single transfected cells. We then allow the cells to develop into clonal populations.

A central theme in developmental biology is the diversification of lineages and the elucidation of underlying molecular mechanisms. This entails a ...

CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Highly Efficient Gene Targeting in Embryonic Stem Cells for Developing Gene-Manipulated Mouse Models

The CRISPR/Cas9 system has made it possible to develop genetically modified mice by direct genome editing using fertilized zygotes. However, although the efficiency in developing gene-knockout mice by inducing small indel mutation would be sufficient enough, the efficiency of embryo genome editing for making large-size DNA knock-in (KI) is still low. Therefore, in contrast to the direct KI method in embryos, gene targeting using embryonic stem cells (ESCs) followed by embryo injection to develop chimera mice still has several advantages (e.g., high throughput targeting in vitro, multi-allele manipulation, and Cre and flox gene manipulation can be carried out in a short period). In addition, strains with difficult-to-handle embryos in vitro, such as BALB/c, can also be used for ESC targeting. This protocol describes the optimized method for large-size DNA (several kb) KI in ESCs by applying CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing followed by chimera mice production to develop gene-manipulated mouse models.

Here we present a protocol for developing genetically modified mouse models using embryonic stem cells, especially for large DNA knock-in (KI). This protocol is tuned up using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, resulting in significantly improved KI efficiency compared with the conventional homologous recombination-mediated linearized DNA targeting method.

The CRISPR/Cas9 system has made it possible to develop genetically modified mice by direct genome editing using fertilized zygotes. However, although the ...

Trans-inner Cell Mass Injection of Embryonic Stem Cells Leads to Higher Chimerism Rates

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Dechorionation of Medaka Embryos and Cell Transplantation for the Generation of Chimeras

Xenotransplantation of Human Stem Cells into the Chicken Embryo

Single Cell Transfection in Chick Embryos

CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Highly Efficient Gene Targeting in Embryonic Stem Cells for Developing Gene-Manipulated Mouse Models