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Vertebrate reproductive science and technology
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Efficient system for preservation and regeneration of genetic resources in chicken: concurrent storage of primordial germ cells and live animals from early embryos of a rare indigenous fowl (Gifujidori)

Yoshiaki Nakamura A B C , Fumitake Usui A , Daichi Miyahara A , Takafumi Mori A , Tamao Ono A , Kumiko Takeda B , Keijiro Nirasawa B , Hiroshi Kagami A and Takahiro Tagami B D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University, Minamiminowa, Nagano 399–4598, Japan.

B National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–0901, Japan.

C Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

D Corresponding author. Email: tagami@affrc.go.jp

Reproduction, Fertility and Development 22(8) 1237-1246 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD10056
Submitted: 17 March 2010  Accepted: 15 June 2010   Published: 1 October 2010

Abstract

The unique accessibility of chicken primordial germ cells (PGCs) during early development provides the opportunity to combine the reproduction of live animals with genetic conservation. Male and female Gifujidori fowl (GJ) PGCs were collected from the blood of early embryos, and cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen for >6 months until transfer. Manipulated GJ embryos were cultured until hatching; fertility tests indicated that they had normal reproductive abilities. Embryos from two lines of White Leghorn (24HS, ST) were used as recipients for chimera production following blood removal. The concentration of PGCs in the early embryonic blood of 24HS was significantly higher than in ST (P < 0.05). Frozen–thawed GJ PGCs were microinjected into the bloodstream of same-sex recipients. Offspring originating from GJ PGCs in ST recipients were obtained with a higher efficiency than those originating from GJ PGCs in 24HS recipients (23.3% v. 3.1%). Additionally, GJ progeny were successfully regenerated by crossing germline chimeras of the ST group. In conclusion, the cryogenic preservation of PGCs from early chicken embryos was combined with the conservation of live animals.

Additional keyword: germline chimeras.


Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the ‘Genebank Project’ research project of the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS) to T.T., and a Research Fellowship for Young Scientists from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences to Y.N. The authors wish to thank the staff of the Poultry Management Section of the NILGS for taking care of the birds and providing the fertilised eggs. We are grateful to Dr K. Hamano of the Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University for his helpful advice. The present study was supported by all members of the Animal Breeding and Reproduction Research Team, NILGS, and all colleagues at the laboratory of Animal Developmental Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University.


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