Profile

RLI scientists have made significant contributions to the animal embryo biotechnology field, particularly with rabbit, bovine, and equine models. Early in the 1980s, they participated in the pioneer work to generate transgenic rabbit via DNA microinjection (China), and rabbit cloning using embryonic blastomere cells (China). RLI scientists constantly achieve over 20% of transgenic rates via DNA and/or RNA pronuclear injection in rabbits. We expect our expertise will greatly facilitate your goal to generate useful animal models, either via conventional DNA or RNA microinjection, or the emerging Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN) technology.   

In 2005, RLI scientists led the work to produce the first cloned rabbit in the United States (supported by NIH) (pdf format paper). This is considered a breakthrough in developing useful rabbit models to study human diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD). Rabbit is a much better model for human CVD than mice are.  Other achievements in the field of rabbit embryo biotechnology include: (a) first cloned rabbit embryos using pluripotent rbES cells in 1995 (pdf format paper), and pioneer in rabbit cloning using somatic cells (pdf format paper); (b) one of the few labs in the world capable of deriving rabbit embryonic stem cells, and generate specific differentiated rabbit cell types from rbESCs  (supported by NIH) ; (c) established a high efficient vitrification protocol for early stage rabbit embryos (pdf format paper); (d) produced GFP, RFP and neomycin resistant transgenic rabbits by pronuclear DNA microinjection. RLI scientists also punlished papers related to bovine (click here for more information).

Selected publications authored by RLI scientists

Lin TA, Chen CH, Sung LY, Carter MG, Chen YE, Du F, Ju JC and Xu J. Open-pulled straw vitrification differentiates cryotolerance of in vitro cultured rabbit embryos at the eight-cell stage. Theriogenology 2011; 75: 760-768.

Senatore E, Xu J, Novoa M, Gong G, Lin T, Bella A, Moreno JF, Mannino M, Tian CX, Presicce GA, Wu S, and Du F* Improved in vitro development of OPU-derived bovine (Bos taurus) embryos by group culture with agarose-embedded helper embryos. Theriogenology 2010; online doi:10.1016/j.theriogenology.2010.06.037.

Giorgio A. Presicce, Jie Xu, Guochun Gong, Juan F. Moreno, Sanjeev Chaubal, Fei Xue, Antonino Bella, Elena M Senatore, Xiangzhong Yang, X. Cindy Tian, and Fuliang Du*. Oocyte source and hormonal stimulation for in vitro fertilization using sexed spermatozoa in cattle. Veterinary Medicine International. Volume 2011, Article ID 145626, 8 pages. doi:10.4061/2011/145626

Du F*, Xu J, Zhang J, Gao S, Carter M, He C, Sung L, Chaubal S, Fissore R, Tian X, Yang X and Chen E Beneficial Effect of young oocytes in rabbit somatic cell nuclear transfer. Cloning and Stem Cells 2009; 11(1):131-140.

Xu J, Chaubal S, and Du F* Optimizing IVF with sexed sperm in cattle. Theriogenology 2009; 71(1):39-47.

Sung LY, Shen PC, Jeong BS, Xu J, Chang CC, Cheng W.T.K. 4, Wu JS, Lee SN, Broek D, Faber D, Tian XC, Yang X and Du F* Premature chromosome condensation is not essential for nuclear reprogramming in bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer. Biology of Reproduction 2007; 76(2):232-240.

Xu J, Guo Z, Su L, Nedambale TL, Zhang J, Schenk J, Moreno JF, Dinnyes A, Ji W, Tian XC, Yang X and Du F* High developmental potential of vitrified Holstein cattle embryos fertilized in vitro with sex-sorted sperm. Journal of Dairy Science 2006; 89:2510–2518.

Du F*, Shen P, Xu J, Sung LY, Jeong BS, Riesen J, Tian X, Cheng TK, Lee S and Yang X  Phytohemagglutinin-cell agglutination agent improves the efficiency of somatic cell nuclear transfer cloning in cattle (Bos taurus). Theriogenology 2006; 65:642-657.