Nuclear transfer

Abstract

There are two potential roles for nuclear transfer in animal breeding. First, the production of multiple copies of elite embryos by reconstruction using embryonic blastomeres. Secondly, nuclear transfer from cultured cell populations may be used for the production of genetically modified progenitor animals, either for the introduction of genetic change into nucleus herds, or for increasing the rate of dissemination of genetic modification into the population as a whole. The purpose of this review is to discuss some of the factors that affect the development of reconstructed embryos and the means by which nuclear transfer can be used to achieve these goals.