Abstract
Sex identification of ddY mouse morulae by immunological means was investigated.
Anti male spleen cell serum was produced by 3 intraperitoneal injections of C57BL/6 male spleen cells into females of the same strain at a dose of 3 x 107 spleen cells per injection. Five days after the last injection, serum was collected and absorbed with ddY female mouse spleen cells.
Day-3 morulae of ddY mice were cultured in BMOC-3 containing 10% antiserum, which was pooled from six immunized mice, and 10% guinea pig serum as a source complement.
These embryos were classified as normal or degenetated after 12 h of culture. Out of 207 embryos treated, 94 (45.4%) were found to be degenerated. Approximately 89.7% of the embryos which were not degenerated were found to be females by chromosomal analysis. A significantly higher percent-age of females was obtained from embryos that were cultured in antiserum, than untreated embryos (P < 0.01).
The results indicate that the sex of ddY mouse morulae can be identified clearly by using anti male spleen cell serum.
