China Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Medicine ›› 2026, Vol. 53 ›› Issue (1): 119-126.doi: 10.16431/j.cnki.1671-7236.2026.01.011

• Review • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Research Progress and Application of Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Technology in Sheep

HUA Zaidong1(), CHEN Ying1, ZHANG Nian1, GUO Shuai2, XIONG Qi1()   

  1. 1.Hubei Key Laboratory of Animal Embryo Engineering and Molecular Breeding,Hubei Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine,Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Wuhan 430064,China
    2.Wuhan NEWLIT Biotechnology Co. ,Ltd. ,Wuhan 430064,China
  • Received:2025-05-27 Online:2026-01-05 Published:2025-12-26
  • Contact: XIONG Qi E-mail:zaidonghua@163.com;phenixxq@163.com

Abstract:

The somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technology, as a significant breakthrough in the field of developmental biology in the 20th century, its landmark achievement was the birth of the first cloned mammal Dolly, which marked a new era in mammalian cloning technology.This technology accomplishes complete nuclear reprogramming through the transplantation of a differentiated somatic cell nucleus into an enucleated oocyte, ultimately producing genetically identical organisms. The author systematically reviewed the scientific history, key technological optimizations, and significant application values of sheep cloning research. It focus on pivotal scientific issues such as the selection of donot cells, strategies for improving nuclear transfer efficiency, the molecular mechanisms of epigenetic reprogramming, and the regulation of the oocyte microenvironment. The study also evaluates the technology’s potential across biomedical domains such as accelerated livestock breeding, endangered species preservation, human disease model construction, and therapeutic cloning. Concluding with informed deliberations on future technological trends, this review aims to furnish a framework for both theoretical investigation and the industrial utilization of SCNT.

Key words: sheep; somatic cell nuclear transfer; nuclear reprogramming; epigenetic regulation

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