Generation of Genetically Identical Mammalian Oocytes from Parthenogenetic Double-Haploid Embryonic Stem Cells
Generating genetically identical mammalian oocytes is challenging due to stochastic meiotic recombination. Here, we established parthenogenetic double-haploid embryonic stem cells (PG-DhESCs) possessing complete homozygosity. By employing blastocyst complementation in Prdm14-deficient embryos, we generated chimeric females that produced oocytes derived exclusively from these donor cells. Fertilization of these oocytes yielded viable, fertile, maternally semi-cloned (MSC) mice of both sexes. Although DNA methylation was largely restored during gametogenesis, subtle epigenetic defects correlated with increased body weight in MSC offspring. This study establishes a robust platform combining PG-DhESCs with blastocyst complementation to generate isogenic mammalian oocytes, overcoming traditional limitations in mammalian cloning.