Gene silencing: maturation of mouse fetal germ cells in vitro.

Nuclear reprogramming is essential during gametogenesis for the production of totipotent zygotes. Here we show that premeiotic female germ cells derived from mouse fetuses as early as 12.5 days post coitum are able to complete meiosis and genomic imprinting in vitro and that these matured oocytes are highly competent in supporting development to full term after nuclear transfer and in vitro fertilization. To our knowledge, this is the first time that complete oogenesis has been successfully accomplished in vitro.