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These experiments were carried out to examine the development capacity of mouse blastomers separated from 2 to 8-cell stage mouse embryos. The female ICR and C3H mice were subjected to supervolution by intraperitoneal injection of PMSG and HCG and then mated with males of the same strain. Embryos were flushed from oviducts and uteri on a proper time after injection of HCG. After removal of zona pellucida with 0.5% pronase, each embryos were separated into 1/2, 1/4, 2/4, 1/8, 2/8 and 4/8 embryos by pipetting or a fine glass needle in Ca2＋.Mg-2＋ free Hoppe& Pitts medium containing 0.02% EDTA. Splitted embryos were cultured in Hoppe & Pitts medium for 48h to 72h. The embryos developed to blastocyst were transferred to recipients on 2 or 3 days of pseudopregnancy. On the other hand, a monozygotic pairs of 1/2 embryos developed to blastocyst after 48h in vitro culture were transferred to recipients on 2 days of pseudopregnancy or pregnancy. The results obtained were summarized as follows. 1. Success rates of separation of blastomeres from 2-, 4- and 8-cell embryos were 91.7%, 68.5-92.4% and 60.8-90.6%, respectively. 2. Development rates of various type of blastomeres to blastocyst after 72h in vitro culture were ranged 64.7-87.1%. 3. Blastocysts obtained after 48h in vitro culture were transferred to recipients on 2 or 3 days of pseudopregnancy. The production rates of live fetuses after transfer on 2 days, only 1/2, 2/4 and 4/8 embryos, were 13.2%, 13.5% and 17.2%, respectively and those of embryos transferred on 3 days were 11.8%, 9.6% and 11.5%, respectively. However, the production rates of live fetuses 1/2 embryos following 72h in vitro culture and transfer to recipients on 2 or 3 days of pseudopregnancy were 7.7% and 12.5%, respectively. 4. From 29 and 31 pairs of 1/2 embryos transferred to recipients on 2 days of pseudopregnancy or pregnancy, 4 sets of monozygotic twins were produced from only pregnant recipients.
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