Enucleation

Enucleation Pre-Enucleation:

Oocytes (unfertilized embryos) are incubated with a DNA specific
stain to identify all DNA material that needs to be removed.

   
Enucleation

Enucleation:

A pipette holds the oocyte while a needle is inserted through the
zona pellucida of the oocyte. The Chromosomes and the polar body
are drawn into the needle
removing this material from the oocyte.

   
Enucleation complete

Enucleation Complete:

Once this DNA material is removed, all that remains inside the zona pellucida is the cytoplasm. The oocyte is ready to receive the
DNA material of the animal being cloned.

   
Transfer of DNA

Fibroblast pickup:

A fibroblast cell is selected from
the founder’s cell line and loaded into the needle.

   
Transfer of DNA

DNA Transfer:

The needle loaded with the fibroblast cell is injected into the hole in the zona. The cell is placed between the inner wall of the
zona pellucida and the cytoplasm.

   
Transfer Complete

Transfer complete:

When completed the result is a nuclear transfer couple where the fibroblast cell is separate from the oocyte cytoplasm.

   
Electrical Stimulus

Fusion
Fusion 1:

The transferred oocytes are
exposed to an electrical stimulus that fuses the fibroblast cell into the oocyte cytoplasm.

   
Fusion - Nucleus enters Cytoplasm

Fusion 2:

The fibroblast cell’s nucleus, with the founder animal’s complete set of genes, enters the oocyte’s cytoplasm. Within a few hours the embryos begins to divide

   
Hatching Blast

Embryo development and Transfer ofEmbryo:

The embryos are then grown in incubators for seven days. At this time the embryos are evaluated
and the high quality embryos are ready for transfer.

   
Recipients at Emtran

Clone Embryo Transfer:

Once the NT or cloned embryos
have been evaluated they are transferred into recipients or host donors.

   
Clone is Born

The Birth

Nine months later, the clone calf is born under special care of a team
of experts.

   

The Road Home:

60 to 90 days after birth the cloned calves have passed their physical exams and are ready to make the trip to their owner’s farm or ranch.

 

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The Cloning Process