Production of transgenic goats by pronuclear microinjection of in vitro produced zygotes derived from oocytes recovered by laparoscopy

Oocytes collected by laparoscopic ovum pick-up (LOPU) were successfully used to produce transgenic goats by pronuclear microinjection of in vitro zygotes. Estrus cycles of 109 donor goats were synchronized using intravaginal sponges impregnated with 60 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate and treatment with 70 mg NIH-FSH-P1 and 300 IU eCG to stimulate follicular development. Follicles were aspirated under laparoscopic observation. In vitro maturation (IVM) of oocytes was performed in M199 supplemented with hormones, kanamycin and 10% estrus goat serum. Following IVM, oocytes were cocultured with capacitated semen in TALP supplemented with 20% estrus goat serum for 15–20 h. The resulting zygotes were microinjected with a linear DNA fragment. In total, 3293 follicles were aspirated (15.7±9 follicles aspirated per donor) and 2823 oocytes were recovered (13.4±8 oocytes per donor). A total of 1366 zygotes were microinjected and transferred into 219 recipient goats by midventral laparotomy (average 6.2 embryos per recipient). A total of 150 kids were born, of which 9 (6 M: 3 F) were confirmed to be transgenic by PCR and Southern blotting analyses. These results demonstrate that acceptable transgenesis rates can be obtained in goats by DNA microinjection of in vitro produced zygotes.