Introduction Thetechniquedescribedhereisaslightmodification(March1997)ofmethodspresentedin:NagyA.,J.Rossant.1993.ProductionofcompletelyEScell-derivedfetuses.InGenetargeting:aPracticalApproach.(ed.A.Joyner).IRLPressatOxfordUniversityPress.ToproducecompletelyEScell-derivedembryosaclumpofEScellsissandwichedbetweentwotetraploidembryos.ForEScellaggregationchimeraswithdiploidembryos,oneembryoisaggregatedwithaclumpofEScells.Eveninthiscase,theEScellinternalizationisefficientenoughtoachieveahighlevelofEScellcontribution.Thebenefitofsingleembryoaggregationistwofold:First,doublethenumberofaggregatescanbeproducedinasingleexperiment.Second,wehavefoundthattheefficiencyofgermlinetransmissionofthetargetedalleleisbetterthanwiththesandwichtype.Thisobservationmaybeexplainedasfollows.Whenmale(XYgenotype)EScellsareaggregatedwithafemale(XXgenotype)morula,resultinginaphenotypicallymale,onlyprimordialgermcellsderivedfromtheXYEScellscancontributetothefunctionalgametes.TheXXprimordialgermcellsfromthehostembryowillnotformgametes,thereforefavoringthegermlinecontributionofEScellscontainingthedesiredmutantallele.Thisarrangement(XXhostmorula,XYEScells)canoccurin50%ofthesingleembryoaggregations,butonlyin25%ofthesandwichtypeaggregations. 1.Theoviductswiththeupperpartoftheuterusattachedareremovedfrom2.5dayspost-coitum(dpc)superovulatedCD-1femalesandplacedintoadropofM2.2.Underdissectingmicroscopetheoviductsareflushedbyinsertingtheflushingneedleattachedtoa1mlsyringeofM2intotheinfundibulum.3.TheembryosarecollectedusingmouthorfingercontrolledpipetteandwashedthroughseveraldropsofM2mediumtoremoveanydebris.4.TheembryosarewashedinKSOMmediumandculturedinorganculturedishinKSOMat37oC,5%CO2. 1.PlacefewrowsofKSOMmicrodrops(roughly3mmindiameter)intotissueculturedishusingsyringe(e.g.3dropsinthefirstandfourthand4-5inthesecondandthirdrows),coverwithoil.2.Sterilizeaggregationneedlebywashinginethanol.3.Makesixormoredepressionsineachmicrodrop(leavingafewdropsintactforEScellselection)bypressingthedarningneedleintotheplasticandmakingslightcircularmovement.Donottwisttheneedle.Thismovementcreatesatinydepressionwithclearsmoothwall.Itshouldbedeepenoughtoholdtheembryo.4.Keeptheplateat37oC,5%CO2. 1.PlaceafewdropsofM2,KSOMandacidTyrode"sinthePetridish.2.WashthegroupofembryoswithaslittlemediumaspossIBLethroughonedropofAcidTyrode"s,thentransfertoafreshdropofthesamesolution.3.Observezonadissolution.4.ImmediatelytransfertheembryosintoadropofM2mediumassoonasthedissolutioniscompleted.5.WashtheembryosatleasttwiceinKSOMdropsbeforeputtingthemintheaggregationplate.6.Transferembryosintoaggregationplatebyplacingthemonebyonebesideeachdepression,alternativelyplaceoneembryoinsideeachdepression.7.PrepareES-cellsforaggregationbythattime. Dissectingmicroscope;Preparedaggregationplatewithdepressionsandembryoswithremovedzona;TrypsinizedES-cells;MouthorFingercontrolledpipette;9""Pasteurpipette. 1.ChooseclumpsoflooselyconnectedEScellsandtransferthemintomicrodrops(notcontainingembryos)ofaggregationplateforfinalselection.2.SelectfewclumpsofEScells(8-15cellsineach);placeeachclumpinadepressioninthemicrodropcontainingembryos. DissolvetribromethanolinTert-amylalcohol,thenaddto200mldistilledwater.Placeonamagneticstirreruntilsolutionisinonephase.Storeinbrownbottleandkeeprefrigerateduntiluse.Shouldbewarmedandshakenbeforeuse.Dosageis0.2ml/10gbodyweight. Theembryotransferprocedureisdescribedindetailsinmanypublications,suchasthefollowing:1.Hogan,B.,F.Constantini,E.Lacy.1986.ManipulatingtheMouseEmbryo.ColdSpringHarbor,NewYork.2.Bradley,A.1987.Productionandanalysisofchimericmice.InTeratocarcinomasandEmbryonicStemCells:APracticalApproach(ed.E.J.Robertson)IRLPress,Oxford,Washington,D.C.3.Pappaioannou,V.,R.Johnson.1993.ProductionofchimerasandgeneticallydefinedoffspringfromtargetedEScells.InGeneTargeting:APracticalApproach(ed.A.Joyner)IRLPressatOxfordUniversityPress.4.StewartC.L.1993.Productionofchimerasbetweenembryonicstemcellsandembryos.InMethodsinEnzymology.vol.225.AcademicPressInc. Flushingofeight-cellstageembryos
Preparationofaggregationplate
RemovalofZonaPellucida
EScells/embryoaggregation

3.Pickupthecorrespondingembryoandplaceitontheclump,alternatively,iftheembryoisalreadyinsidethedepression,placetheclumpofcellsnexttoit.4.Assembleallaggregatesinthismanner,checktheplate,andcultureovernightat37oC,5%CO2.Thefollowingmorning,themajorityofaggregatesshouldhaveformedblastocysts.Wetransferamaximumof8-10embryosintoeachuterinehornofa2.5dpcpseudopregnantrecipient.MatureCD-1femalesareusedaspseudopregnantfostermothersandorderedataweightof30+g.Intheeventofarecipientshortage,itispossible:Transferofembryos