Faculty Member Profile X. Cindy Tian Associate Professor

Phone number 860-486-9087

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Background:

Dr. Tian received her BS in Animal Science from China Agricultural University. She obtained her MS and PhD from Cornell University where she conducted research in early pregnancy recognition and regulation of steroidogenesis in ovarian tissues. She then received post-doctoral trainings as a recipient of a National Research Service Award from NIH in developmental genetics and molecular embryology at Cornell University and University of Connecticut.

Courses Taught:

Research Interests:

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.

Recent Publications:

Tian XC, Park J, Bruno R, French R, Jiang L, Prather RS. 2009. Altered gene expression in cloned piglets. Reprod Fertil Dev. 2009;21(1):60-6.

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. 2009;21(1):22-30.

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

Chang CC, Sung LY, Lin CJ, Kort HI, Yang X, Tian XC, Nagy ZP. 2009. The oocyte spindle is preserved by 1,2-propanediol during slow freezing. Fertil Steril. 2009 Mar 24. [Epub ahead of print]

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. 2009 Apr 7;106(14):5687-92. Epub 2009 Mar 18.

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. 2009 Feb 11. [Epub ahead of print]

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. 2009 Jan 20. [Epub ahead of print]

Kim C, Amano T, Park J, Carter MG, Tian X, Yang X. 2009. Improvement of embryonic stem cell line derivation efficiency with novel medium, glucose concentration, and epigenetic modifications. Cloning Stem Cells. 2009 Mar;11(1):89-100.

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. 2009 Mar;11(1):131-40.

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. 2009 Jan;76(1):38-47.

Everts RE, Chavatte-Palmer P, Razzak A, Hue I, Green CA, Oliveira R, Vignon X, Rodriguez-Zas SL, Tian XC, Yang X, Renard JP, Lewin HA. 2008. Aberrant gene expression patterns in placentomes are associated with phenotypically normal and abnormal cattle cloned by somatic cell nuclear transfer. Physiol Genomics 33:65-77.

Dinnyes A, XC Tian, X Yang. 2008. Epigenetic regulation of fetal development in nuclear transfer animal models (presented in the 16th International Congress on Animal Reproduction, and a special issue of the Reproduction in Domestic Animals) Reprod Dom Anim 43: Suppl 2: 302-309.

Li C, Bin YF, Tian XC, Curchoe C, Yang L, Feng DY, Jiang QY, O'Neill M, Zhang SQ. 2008. Genetic imprinting of H19 and IGF2 in domestic pigs (Sus scrofa). Animal Biotechnology (in press).

Everts RE, Chavatte-Palmer P, Razzak A, Hue I, Green CA, Oliveira R, Vignon X, Rodriguez-Zas SL, Tian XC, Yang X, Renard JP and Lewin HA. 2008. Aberrant gene expression patterns in placentomes are associated with phenotypically normal and abnormal cattle cloned by somatic cell nuclear transfer. Physiol Genomics (in press).

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 Gen 39:295-302.

Jiang L, Jobst P, Lai L, Samuel M, Ayares D, Prather RS, Tian XC. 2007. Expression of Growth-Regulating Imprinted Genes in Cloned Piglets. Cloning Stem Cell 9:97-106.

Jiang L, Lai L, Samuel M, Prather RS, Yang X, Tian XC. 2007. Expression of X-linked Genes in Deceased Neonates and Surviving Cloned Female Piglets. Mol Reprod Dev DOI: 10.1002/mrd.20758.

Sung LY, Shen PC, Jeong BS, Xu J, Chang CC, Cheng WT, Wu JS, Lee SN, Broek D, Faber D, Tian XC, Yang X, Du F. 2007. Premature Chromosome Condensation Is Not Essential for Nuclear Reprogramming in Bovine Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer. Biol Reprod 76:232-240.

Sung L-Y, Gao S, Shen H, Yu H, Song Y, Smith SL, Chang C-C, Inoue K, Kuo K, Lian J, Li A, Tian XC, Tuck DP, Weissman SM, Cheng T, Yang X. 2006. Cloned mouse pups can be derived from adult stem cells as well as terminally differentiated somatic cells. Nature Genetics 38:1323-8.

Chang C-C, Nagy ZP, Abdelmassih R, Liu J-L, Yang X, Tian XC. 2006. Meiotic spindle formation and function following insertion of mitotic chromosomes into GV stage mouse oocytes. RMBonline 12:213-221.

Xu J, Guo ZQ, Nedambale TL, Zhang JX, Schenk J, Tian XC, Yang X,Du F. High Developmental Potential of Vitrified Holstein Cattle Embryos Fertilized in Vitro with Sex-sorted Sperm. 2006 J Dairy Sci 89:2510-8.

Nedambale TL, Du F, Xu J, Chaubal SA, Dinnyes A,Groen W, Faber D, Dobrinsky JR, Yang X, Tian XC. 2006. Prolonging bovine sperm-oocyte incubation in modified medium 199 improves embryo development rate and the viability of vitrified blastocysts. Theriogenology 66:1951-1960.

Suteevun T, Parnpai R, Smith SL, Chang C-C, Muenthaisong S, and XC Tian. 2006. Epigenetic characteristics of cloned and in vitro fertilized swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) embryos. J Anim Sci 84:2065-2071.

Chaubal SA, Molina JA, Ohlrichs CA, Ferre LB, Faber DC, Bols PEJ, Riesen J, Tian XC. Yang X. Different transvaginal ovum pick-up techniques in cows to optimize oocyte retrieval and embryo production over a fixed period of time. Theriogenology 2006 66:1631-1648.

Suteevan T, Smith S, Muentaisong S, Yang X, Parnpai R, Tian XC. Anomalous mRNA levels of chromatin remodeling genes in swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) cloned embryos. Theriogenology 65:1704-1715 2006.

Nedambale TL, Du FL, Yang X, Tian XC. Effects of culture media on the development of in vitro-derived bovine embryos, and of ß-mercaptoethanol on post-vitrification survival. Anim Reprod Sci 93:61-75 2006.

Du F, Shen P, Xu J, Sung L, Jeong B-S, Nedambale TL, Riesen J, Tian XC, Cheng WTK, Lee S-N, Yang X. Phytohemagglutinin-cell agglutination agent and embryo vitrification improves the efficiency of somatic cloning in cattle (Bos Taurus). Theriogenology 2006; 65: 642-657.

Chang C-C, Nagy ZP, Abdelmassih R, Liu J-L, Yang X, Tian XC. Meiotic spindle formation and function following insertion of mitotic chromosomes into GV stage mouse oocytes. RMBonline 2006 (accepted).

Xu J, Guo ZQ, Nedambale TL, Zhang JX, Schenk J, Tian XC, Yang X,Du F. High Developmental Potential of Vitrified Holstein Cattle Embryos Fertilized in Vitro with Sex-sorted Sperm. 2006. J Dairy Sci 89:2510-2518

Suteevun T, Parnpai R, Smith SL, Chang C-C, Muenthaisong S, and XC Tian. Epigenetic characteristics of cloned and in vitro fertilized swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) embryos. J Anim Sci (accepted) 2006.

Chaubal SA, Molina JA, Ohlrichs CA, Ferre LB, Faber DC, Bols PEJ, Riesen J, Tian XC. Yang X. Different transvaginal ovum pick-up techniques in cows to optimize oocyte retrieval and embryo production over a fixed period of time. Theriogenology 2006 66:1631-1648.

Suteevan T, Smith S, Muentaisong S, Yang X, Parnpai R, Tian XC. Temporal Expression of Chromatin Remodeling Genes in Single Swamp Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Cloned and In Vitro Fertilized Embryos. Theriogenology 65:1704-1715 2006.

Curchoe C, Zhang SQ, Yang L, Bin YF, Zhang XQ, Feng DY, Tian XC. Promoter-specific expression of the imprinted Igf2 gene in cattle. Biol Reprod 73:1275-1281 2005.

Tian, XC, Kubota C, Sakashita K, Izaike Y, Okano R, Tabara N, Curchoe C, Jacob L, Zhang Y, Smith S, Bormann C, Andrew S, Yang X. 2005. Meat and Milk Compositions of Bovine Clones Compared with Matched Controls. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102: 6261-6266.

Nedambale TL, Yang X, Tian XC. 2006. Effects of culture media on the development of in vitro-derived bovine embryos, and of ß-mercaptoethanol on post-vitrification survival. Anim Reprod Sci 93:61-75.

Yang L, Chavatte-Palmer P, Kubota C, O'Neill M, Taneja M, Hoagland T, Renard J-P, Yang X, Tian XC. Expression of imprinted genes is aberrant in deceased newborn cloned calves and relatively normal in surviving adult clones. Mol Reprod Dev 71:431-438.

Vasques LR, Stabellini R, Xue F, Tian XC, Soukoyan M, Pereira LV. 2005. Xist Repression in the absence of Dnmt1 and Dnmt3B. DNA Research Journal 12:373-378.

Li Wang, Enkui Duan, Li-ying Sung, Xiangzhong Yang and X Cindy Tian. 2005. Generation and characterization of pluripotent putative stem cells from cloned bovine embryos. Biol Reprod 73:149-155.

Fuliang Du, Pen-Zhi Shen, Jie Xu, Li-Ying Sung, B-Seon Jeong, John Riesen, X Cindy Tian, Winston TK Cheng, Shan-Nan Lee and Xiangzhong Yang. 2005. Phytohemagglutinin-cell agglutination agent and embryo vitrification improves the efficiency of somatic cloning in cattle (Bos Taurus). Theriogenology 65:642-657.

Nedambale TL, Dinnyés A, Groen W, Dobrinsky JR, Tian XC and Yang X. 2004. Comparison on in vitro fertilized bovine embryos cultured in KSOM or SOF and cryopreserved by slow freezing or vitrification. Theriogenology 62: 437-449.

Enright BP, Sung LY, Chang CC, Yang X, Tian XC. 2005. Methylation and Acetylation Characteristics of Cloned Bovine Embryos from Donor Cells Treated with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. Biol Reprod 72:944-948.

Sung LY, Du F, Xu J, Chang W, Nedambale TL, Zhang J, Jiang S, Tian XC, Yang X. 2005. The effect of albumin and sodium citrate on the development of in vitro produced bovine embryos under different oxygen tension. Reprod Nutr Dev 44:551-64.

Chang CC, Ma YH, Jacobs S, Tian XC, Yang X, Rasmussen T. 2005. Histone macroH2A1 expression dynamics during material to embryonic transition. Dev Biol 278:367-380.

Zhang, S, Kubota C, Yang L, Zhang Y, Page R, O'Neill M, Yang X, Tian XC. Genomic imprinting of H19 in naturally reproduced and cloned cattle. Biol Reprod 2004; 71:1540-1544.

Nedambale TL, Dinnyés A, Yang X, Tian XC. 2004. Bovine blastocyst development in vitro: Timing, sex and viability following vitrification. Biol Reprod 2004 71:1671-1676.

Yang, X, XC Tian, W Fodor. 2004. Cattle call for gene targeting. Nature Genetic 36: 671-672.

Zhang, S, Kubota C, Yang L, Zhang Y, Page R, O'Neill M, Yang X, Tian XC. Genomic imprinting of H19 in naturally reproduced and cloned cattle. Biol Reprod 2004; 10.1095/biolreprod.104.031807.

Kubota C, Tian XC, Yang X. Differential fertility in second and third generation clones of a prize breeding bull. Nature Biotechnology. 2004; 22: 693-694.

Tian XC. Reprogramming of epigenetic inheritance by somatic cell nuclear transfer. RBMonline 2004; 8:501-508.

Savage, A.F., Maull, J., Tian, X.C., Taneja, M., Katz, L., Darre, M., Yang, X. 2004. Behavioral Observation of Adolescent Holstein Heifers Cloned from Adult Somatic Cells. Theriogenology. 60: 1097-1110.

Tian XC, Kubota C, Enright B, Yang X. Cloning animals by somatic cell nuclear transfer - biological factors. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2003; 1:98-104.

Jiang L, Carter DB, Xu J, Yang X, Prather RS, Tian XC. Telomere lengths in cloned transgenic pigs. Biol Reprod 2004 70:1589-1593.

Chang CC, Nagy P, Abdelmassih R, Yang X, Tian XC. Nuclear and microtubule dynamics of G2/M somatic nuclei during haploidization in germinal vesicle-stage mouse oocytes. Biol Reprod 2004; 70:752-758.

Lee, J.W., Tian, X.C., Yang, X. 2004. Optimization of Parthenogenetic Activation Protocol in Porcine. Mol Reprod Dev 68:51-57.

Enright BP, Kubota C, Yang X, Tian XC. Epigenetic characteristics of donor cells treated by Trichostatin A or 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine and development of embryos cloned from treated donor cells. Biol Reprod 2003; 69:896-901.

Enright BP, Jeong BS, Yang X, Tian XC. Epigenetic characteristics of bovine donor cells for nuclear transfer: Levels of histone acetylation. Biol Reprod 2003; 69:1525-1530.

Liu J-L, Kusakabe H, Chang C-C, Suzuki H, Schmidt DW, Julian M, Pfeffer R, Bormann CL, Tian XC, Yanagimachi Y, Yang X. Freeze-dried sperm fertilization led to term development in rabbits. Biol Reprod 2004; 70:1776-1781.

Liu J-L, Sung L-Y, Du F, Julian M, Jiang S, Barber M, Xu J, Tian XC, Yang X. Differential development of rabbit embryos derived from parthenogenesis and nuclear transfer. Mol Reprod Dev 2004; 68:58-64.

Nedambale TL, Dinnyes A, Groen W, Dobrinsky JR, Tian XC, Yang X. Comparison of in vitro fertilized bovine embryos cultured in ISOM or SOFaaci or SOFaaci and cryopreserved by slow freezing or vitrification. Theriogenology. 2004; 62: 437-449.

Zhang SQ, Feng DY, Tian XC, Yang X. 2003. Progress on Imprinted Genes in Mammals. China Biotechnology 12:23-54.

Sung, L.Y., Du, F., Xu, J., Chang, W., Jiang, S., Tian, X.C. and Yang, X. 2005. The effect of albumin and sodium citrate on the development of in vitro produced bovine embryos under different oxygen tension. Reprod Nutr Dev 44:551-64.

Lee, J.W., Wu, S.C., Tian, X.C., Barber, M., Hoagland, T., Riesen, J., Yang, X. 2003. Production of Cloned Pigs by Whole Cell Intracytoplasmic Microinjection. Biol Reprod. 69: 995-1001.

Lee, J.W., Tian, X.C., Yang, X. 2003. Failure of male pronucleus formation is the major cause for the lack of fertilization and embryo development in pig ICSI oocytes. Biol Reprod 68:1341-1347.

Liu, L., Deng, M., Tian, X.C. and Yang, X. 2002. Activation of mammalian oocytes: principles and practice. Chapter 17: In: Introduction to Mammalian Reproduction. Editor: Daulat R.P. Tulsiani, Kluwer Academic Publishers, MA, USA, pp 319-345.

Chen, M.J., Tian X.C., Chen, T.T. 2002. Novel biological activities of E-peptides of the teleostean proIGF-I: inducing morphological changes, enhancing cell attachment and restoring anchorage-dependent cell division in oncogenic transformed cells. General and Comparative Endocrinology. 126: 342-351.

Du, F., Sung, L.Y., Tian, X.C., Yang, X. 2002. Differential Cytoplast Requirement for Embryonic and Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer in Cattle. Mol Reprod Dev 63:183-191.

Govoni, K.E., Tian, X.C., Kazmer, G.W., Taneja, M., Enright, B., Rivard, A.L., Yang, X., Zinn, S.A., 2002. Age-related changes of the somatotropic axis in cloned Holstein calves. Biol Reprod 66:1293-1298.

Tian, X.C., Lonergan, P., Jeong, B.S., Evans, A.E.O. and Yang, X. 2002. Association of MPF, MAPK and nuclear progression dynamics during activation of young and aged bovine oocytes. Mol Reprod Dev 62:132-138.

Dinnyes, A., Tian, X.C. and Yang, X. 2002. Cloning of Rabbits (Chapter 17). In: Principles of Cloning. Eds. JB Cibelli, RP Lanza, KHS Campbell and MD West. Academic Press, San Diego, CA. pp. 343-366.

Liu, J.L., Sung, L.Y., Tian, X.C., Yang, X. 2002. Hypertonicity-Induced Projections Reflect Cell Plarity in Mouse MII Oocytes: Involvement of Microtubules, Microfilaments, and Chromosomes. Biol Reprod 67:1853-1863.

Tian, X.C. 2002. Multiple Hormones From A Single Polypeptide By Post-translational Modifications - An Example by IGF-I E-peptides. Recent Research Developments in Endocrinology 3:359-368.

Xue, F., Tian, X.C., Kubota, C., Du, F., Taneja, M., Dinnyes, A., Dai, Y., Pereira, L.V., Yang, x. 2002. Aberrant X-Chromosome inactivation in deceased cattle derived from somatic cloning. Nature Genetics 31:216-220.

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