We examined the in vitro developmental potential of nonactivated and activated enucleated ova receiving cumulus cells at various stages of the cell cycle. Eleven to 29% of activated ova receiving donor cells stopped developing at the 8-cell stage but 21% to 50% of nonactivated ova receiving donor cells at either the G₀, G₁, G₂, or M phase, or cycling cells developed into blastocysts. One normal calf was born after transferring five blastocysts that had developed from ova receiving donor cells at the M phase. The present study demonstrated that direct exposure of donor chromosomes to nonactivated ovum cytoplasm is effective for somatic cell nucleus reprogramming, and activated ovum cytoplasm does not reprogram the nucleus.