DEVELOPMENTAL POTENTIAL OF SINGLE BLASTOMERES OF THE RABBIT EGG

Abstract

Summary. Single blastomeres of two-, four- or eight-cell rabbit eggs devoid of the zona pellucida, enclosed in their own zona, or injected into an evacuated host zona were transferred to the Fallopian tubes of recipient does. No single blastomeres devoid of the zona survived, while 30%, 19% and 11% of those of two-, four- and eight-cell eggs enclosed in their own zona developed into normal viable young. Thirty-three out of ninety-seven single blastomeres of four-cell eggs injected into host zonae showed limited development, undergoing one or more cleavages, during the first 2 days after transfer. However, none implanted or developed into 6-day blastocysts. Failure to survive may have been due to leucocytic invasion of the zona and subsequent destruction of the blastomeres. The developmental potential of individual blastomeres is briefly discussed in relation to the production of identical offspring.