DEVELOPMENT OF ANDROGENETIC MOUSE EMBRYOS PRODUCED BY INVITRO FERTILIZATION OF ENUCLEATED OOCYTES

Enucleated mouse oocytes were successfully fertilized in vitro, and the resultant androgenetic eggs developed to the blastocyst stage. The proportion of enucleated oocytes fertilized in vitro was high (87-99%) at sperm concentrations ranging from 10-100 X 10(4)/Ml. At high sperm concentrations (100-1,000 X 10(4)), 35-45% of the fertilized eggs resulted in heterozygous bispermic androgenones. The proportion of hemizygous haploid and heterozygous diploid androgenones developing to blastocysts was 11% and 43%, respectively. Hemizygous diploidization, however, showed no positive effect on development. These results clearly show that the procedure reported here is efficient and reliable for the production of androgenetic eggs.