The research interest of Dr X Cindy Tian is to understand the process of gene reprogramming by somatic nuclear transfer. Since the creation of Dolly, the first mammal cloned from an adult differentiated somatic cell, a long-held dogma in developmental biology, that the process of genes inactivation during development and differentiation was irreversible, was revolutionized. We now believe that inactivated genes can be reactivated by the somatic cloning technology and are capable to direct development of a new individual. The process of gene reactivation by somatic nuclear transfer is called nuclear or gene reprogramming. Nuclear reprogramming is the fundamental basis for tissue regeneration by the stem cell technology. The high rates of developmental abnormality of somatic clones, however, point to the fact that the nuclear reprogramming process is incomplete and imperfect at this time. Understanding the mechanisms regulating the nuclear/gene reprogramming events will lead to technologies to targeted re-differentiation of cells for tissue regeneration.

AS 329, Frontiers of Animal Embryology
AS 350, Fundamentals of Proteomics
AS 229, Animal Embryology and Biotechnology

Genetic imprinting in naturally reproduced & cloned cattle & pigs
X-chromosome inactivation in cattle & pigs
Telomere reprogramming in cloned heifers and pigs
Mitochondrial inheritance of clones
Bovine oocyte activation and embryo development
Expression profiling
Nuclear reprogramming

See most recent at PubMed

Sung LY, Chen CH, Xu J, Lin TA, Su HY, Chang WF, Liu CC, Sung YS, Cheng WT, Zhang J, Tian XC, Ju JC, Chen YE, Wu SC, Du F. (2011) Follicular oocytes better support development in rabbit cloning than oviductal oocytes. Cell Reprogram 13(6):503-512.

Jiang L, Marjani SL, Bertolini M, Anderson GB, Yang X, Tian XC. (2011) Indistinguishable transcriptional profiles between in vitro- and in vivo-produced bovine fetuses. Mol Reprod Dev 78(9):642-650.

Wu C, Guo X, Wang F, Li X, Tian XC, Li L, Wu Z, Zhang S. (2011) Simulated microgravity compromises mouse oocyte maturation by disrupting meiotic spindle organization and inducing cytoplasmic blebbing. PLoS One 6(7):e22214.

Park J, Kim C, Tang Y, Amano T, Lin CJ, Tian XC. (2011) Reprogramming of mouse fibroblasts to an intermediate state of differentiation by chemical induction. Cell Reprogram 13(2):121-131.

Tang Y, Lin CJ, Tian XC. (2011) Functionality and transduction condition evaluation of recombinant Klf4 for improved reprogramming of iPS cells. Cell Reprogram 13(2):99-112.

Park J, Lai L, Samuel M, Wax D, Bruno RS, French R, Prather RS, Yang X, Tian XC. (2011) Altered gene expression profiles in the brain, kidney, and lung of one-month-old cloned pigs. Cell Reprogram 13(3):215-223.

Chang CC, Lin CJ, Sung LY, Kort HI, Tian XC, Nagy ZP.(2011) Impact of phase transition on the mouse oocyte spindle during vitrification. Reprod Biomed Online 22(2):184-191.

Degrelle SA, Lê Cao KA, Heyman Y, Everts RE, Campion E, Richard C, Ducroix-Crépy C, Tian XC, Lewin HA, Renard JP, Robert-Granié C, Hue I. (2011) A small set of extra-embryonic genes defines a new landmark for bovine embryo staging. Reproduction 141(1):79-89.

Inoue K, Kohda T, Sugimoto M, Sado T, Ogonuki N, Matoba S, Shiura H, Ikeda R, Mochida K, Fujii T, Sawai K, Otte AP, Tian XC, Yang X, Ishino F, Abe K, Ogura A. (2010) Impeding Xist expression from the active X chromosome improves mouse somatic cell nuclear transfer. Science 330(6003):496-499.

Presicce GA, Xu J, Gong G, Moreno JF, Chaubal S, Xue F, Bella A, Senatore EM, Yang X, Tian XC, Du F. (2010) Oocyte source and hormonal stimulation for in vitro fertilization using sexed spermatozoa in cattle. Vet Med Int 2010 Sep 5;2011. pii: 145626.

Park J, Marjani SL, Lai L, Samuel M, Wax D, Davis SR, Bruno RS, Prather RS, Yang X, Tian XC. (2010) Altered gene expression profiles in the brain, kidney, and lung of deceased neonatal cloned pigs. Cell Reprogram 12(5):589-597.

Sung LY, Chang CC, Amano T, Lin CJ, Amano M, Treaster SB, Xu J, Chang WF, Nagy ZP, Yang X, Tian XC. (2010) Efficient derivation of embryonic stem cells from nuclear transfer and parthenogenetic embryos derived from cryopreserved oocytes. Cell Reprogram 12(2):203-211.

Gong G, Roach ML, Jiang L, Yang X, Tian XC. (2010) Culture conditions and enzymatic passaging of bovine ESC-like cells. Cell Reprogram 12(2):151-160.

Lin CJ, Amano T, Zhang J, Chen YE, Tian XC.(2010) Acceptance of embryonic stem cells by a wide developmental range of mouse tetraploid embryos. Biol Reprod 83(2):177-184.

Chang CC, Gao S, Sung LY, Corry GN, Ma Y, Nagy ZP, Tian XC, Rasmussen TP. (2010) Rapid elimination of the histone variant MacroH2A from somatic cell heterochromatin after nuclear transfer. Cell Reprogram 12(1):43-53.

Chang CC, Sung LY, Lin CJ, Kort HI, Yang X, Tian XC, Nagy ZP.(2010) The oocyte spindle is preserved by 1,2-propanediol during slow freezing. Fertil Steril 93(5):1430-1439.

Mansouri-Attia N, Aubert J, Reinaud P, Giraud-Delville C, Taghouti G, Galio L, Everts RE, Degrelle S, Richard C, Hue I, Yang X, Tian XC, Lewin HA, Renard JP, Sandra O. (2009) Gene expression profiles of bovine caruncular and intercaruncular endometrium at implantation. Physiol Genomics 39(1):14-27.

Mansouri-Attia N, Sandra O, Aubert J, Degrelle S, Everts RE, Giraud-Delville C, Heyman Y, Galio L, Hue I, Yang X, Tian XC, Lewin HA, Renard JP.(2009) Endometrium as an early sensor of in vitro embryo manipulation technologies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106(14):5687-5692.

Curchoe CL, Zhang S, Yang L, Page R, Tian XC. (2009) Hypomethylation trends in the intergenic region of the imprinted IGF2 and H19 genes in cloned cattle. Anim Reprod Sci 116(3-4):213-225.

Suteevun-Phermthai T, Curchoe CL, Evans AC, Boland E, Rizos D, Fair T, Duffy P, Sung LY, Du F, Chaubal S, Xu J, Wechayant T, Yang X, Lonergan P, Parnpai R, Tian XC. (2009) Allelic switching of the imprinted IGF2R gene in cloned bovine fetuses and calves. Anim Reprod Sci 116(1-2):19-27.

Tian XC, Park J, Bruno R, French R, Jiang L, Prather RS. (2009) Altered gene expression in cloned piglets. Reprod Fertil Dev 21(1):60-66. Review.

Chang CC, Sung LY, Amano T, Tian XC, Yang X, Nagy ZP.(2009) Nuclear transfer and oocyte cryopreservation. Reprod Fertil Dev 21(1):37-44. Review.

Marjani SL, Le Bourhis D, Vignon X, Heyman Y, Everts RE, Rodriguez-Zas SL, Lewin HA, Renard JP, Yang X, Tian XC. (2009) Embryonic gene expression profiling using microarray analysis. Reprod Fertil Dev 21(1):22-30. Review.

Du F, Xu J, Zhang J, Gao S, Carter MG, He C, Sung LY, Chaubal S, Fissore RA, Tian XC, Yang X, Chen YE. (2009) Beneficial effect of young oocytes for rabbit somatic cell nuclear transfer. Cloning Stem Cells 11(1):131-140.

Dinnyes A, Tian XC, Yang X. (2008) Epigenetic regulation of foetal development in nuclear transfer animal models. Reprod Domest Anim 43 Suppl 2:302-309. Review.

Smith SL, Everts RE, Sung LY, Du F, Page RL, Henderson B, Rodriguez-Zas SL, Nedambale TL, Renard JP, Lewin HA, Yang X, Tian XC. (2009) Gene expression profiling of single bovine embryos uncovers significant effects of in vitro maturation, fertilization and culture. Mol Reprod Dev 76:38-47. Erratum in: Mol Reprod Dev. 2009 May;76(5):523.

Niemann H, Tian XC, King WA, and Lee RS. (2008) Epigenetic reprogramming in embryonic and foetal development upon somatic cell nuclear transfer cloning. Reproduction 135(2):151-163

Jiang L, Lai L, Samuel M, Prather RS, Yang X, and Tian XC. 2008. Expression of X-linked genes in deceased neonates and surviving cloned female piglets. Mol Reprod Dev 75(2):265-273.

Jiang L, Jobst P, Lai L, Samuel M, Ayares D, Prather RS, Tian XC. (2007) Expression levels of growth-regulating imprinted genes in cloned piglets. Cloning Stem Cells 9(1):97-106.

Tian XC, Smith SL, Zhang SQ, Kubota C, Curchoe C, Xue F, Yang L, Du F, Sung LY, and Yang X. (2007) Nuclear reprogramming by somatic cell nuclear transfer--the cattle story. Soc Reprod Fertil Suppl 64:327-339.

Yang X, Tian XC, Kubota C, Page R, Xu J, Cibelli J, Seidel G Jr. (2007) Risk assessment of meat and milk from cloned animals. Nature Biotech 25:79-83.

Yang X, Smith SL, Tian XC, Lewin HA, Renard JP, Wakayama T. (2007) Nuclear reprogramming of cloned embryos and its implications for therapeutic cloning. Nature Genetics 39:295-302.

Sung LY, Gao S, Shen H, Yu H, Song Y, Smith SL, Chang CC, Inoue K, Kuo L, Lian J, Li A, Tian XC, Tuck DP, Weissman SM, Yang X, Cheng T. (2006) Differentiated cells are more efficient than adult stem cells for cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer.Nature Genetics 38:1323-1328.

Smith SL, Everts RE, Tian XC, Du F, Sung LY, Rodriguez-Zas SL, Jeong BS, Renard JP, Lewin HA, Yang X. (2005) Global gene expression profiles reveal significant nuclear reprogramming by the blastocyst stage after cloning. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 102:17582-17587.

Tian XC, Kubota C, Sakashita K, Izaike Y, Okano R, Tabara N, Curchoe C, Jacob L, Zhang Y, Smith S, Bormann C, Xu J, Sato M, Andrew S, Yang X. (2005) Meat and milk compositions of bovine clones. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102:6261-6266.

Kubota C, Tian XC, Yang X. (2004) Serial bull cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer. Nature Biotechnology 22:693-694.

Xue F, Tian XC, Du F, Kubota C, Taneja M, Dinnyes A, Dai Y, Levine H, Pereira LV, Yang X. (2002) Aberrant patterns of X chromosome inactivation in bovine clones. Nature Genetics 31:216-220.

Tian XC, Xu J, Yang X. (2000) Normal Telomere Lengths Found in Cloned Cattle. Nature Genetics 26:272-273.