Developmental Pluripotency of the Nuclei of Neurons in the Cerebral Cortex of Juvenile Mice

Nuclei isolated from green fluorescent protein-marked neurons in the cerebral cortex of juvenile mice (14–21 d after birth) were injected into enucleated oocytes that were allowed to develop into blastocysts. Embryonic stem (ES) cell lines were established from the inner cell mass of 76 cloned blastocysts after injecting 2026 neuronal nuclei. Some ES cells were injected individually into enucleated oocytes (nuclear transfer). Other ES cells were transferred into the blastocoeles of tetraploid blastocysts (tetraploid complementation). Two-cell embryos after nuclear transfer were transferred to the oviducts of surrogate mothers. Four (1.5%) of 272 nuclear-transferred two-cell embryos developed to term, and two (0.7%) developed into fertile adults. Nineteen (1.9%) of 992 tetraploid blastocysts receiving ES cells reached term, and 10 (1.0%) developed into adults. These findings demonstrate that some of the nuclei of differentiated neurons in the cerebral cortex of juvenile mice maintain developmental pluripotency.