TY - JOUR
T1 - Phenotype of Cloned Mice
T2 - Development, Behavior, and Physiology
AU - Tamashiro, Kellie L.K.
AU - Wakayama, Teruhiko
AU - Yamazaki, Yukiko
AU - Akutsu, Hidenori
AU - Woods, Stephen C.
AU - Kondo, Sylvia
AU - Yanagimachi, Ryuzo
AU - Sakai, Randall R.
PY - 2003/11
Y1 - 2003/11
N2 - Cloning technology has potential to be a valuable tool in basic research, clinical medicine, and agriculture. However, it is critical to determine the consequences of this technique in resulting offspring before widespread use of the technology. Mammalian cloning using somatic cells was first demonstrated in sheep in 1997 and since then has been extended to a number of other species. We examined development, behavior, physiology, and longevity in B6C3F1 female mice cloned from adult cumulus cells. Control mice were naturally fertilized embryos subjected to the same in vitro manipulation and culture conditions as clone embryos. Clones attained developmental milestones similar to controls. Activity level, motor ability and coordination, and learning and memory skills of cloned mice were comparable with controls. Interestingly, clones gained more body weight than controls during adulthood. Increased body weight was attributable to higher body fat and was associated with hyperleptinemia and hyperinsulinemia indicating that cloned mice are obese. Cloned mice were not hyperphagic as adults and had hypersensitive leptin and melanocortin signaling systems. Longevity of cloned mice was comparable with that reported by the National Institute on Aging and the causes of death were typical for this strain of mouse. These studies represent the first comprehensive set of data to characterize cloned mice and provide critical information about the long term effects of somatic cell cloning.
AB - Cloning technology has potential to be a valuable tool in basic research, clinical medicine, and agriculture. However, it is critical to determine the consequences of this technique in resulting offspring before widespread use of the technology. Mammalian cloning using somatic cells was first demonstrated in sheep in 1997 and since then has been extended to a number of other species. We examined development, behavior, physiology, and longevity in B6C3F1 female mice cloned from adult cumulus cells. Control mice were naturally fertilized embryos subjected to the same in vitro manipulation and culture conditions as clone embryos. Clones attained developmental milestones similar to controls. Activity level, motor ability and coordination, and learning and memory skills of cloned mice were comparable with controls. Interestingly, clones gained more body weight than controls during adulthood. Increased body weight was attributable to higher body fat and was associated with hyperleptinemia and hyperinsulinemia indicating that cloned mice are obese. Cloned mice were not hyperphagic as adults and had hypersensitive leptin and melanocortin signaling systems. Longevity of cloned mice was comparable with that reported by the National Institute on Aging and the causes of death were typical for this strain of mouse. These studies represent the first comprehensive set of data to characterize cloned mice and provide critical information about the long term effects of somatic cell cloning.
KW - Development
KW - Longevity
KW - Mouse
KW - Obesity
KW - Somatic cell cloning
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0242694032&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0242694032&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/153537020322801015
DO - 10.1177/153537020322801015
M3 - Article
C2 - 14610260
AN - SCOPUS:0242694032
SN - 1535-3702
VL - 228
SP - 1193
EP - 1200
JO - Experimental Biology and Medicine
JF - Experimental Biology and Medicine
IS - 10
ER -