title: In vitro survival and proliferation of porcine primordial germ cells.
abstract: Primordial germ cells (PGC) collected from the genital ridge of Day 25 porcine embryos were cultured on STO feeder cells in medium with or without supplemented growth factors. The effects on porcine PGC proliferation of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), LIF + stem cell factor (SCF) or LIF + SCF + basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), growth factors shown to be essential for in vitro survival and proliferation of murine PGC, were tested. After histochemical staining, both freshly collected and cultured PGC expressed alkaline phosphatase activity. With or without supplemented growth factors, porcine PGC survived and proliferated in culture for at least 5 d. None of the growth factors tested markedly enhanced in vitro growth of porcine PGC. These results suggest that growth factors provided by either the STO feeder layer or the cultured PGC themselves are sufficient to support in vitro survival and proliferation of porcine PGC. With the support of STO cells, addition of growth factors shown to be essential for the in vitro growth of murine PGC is not required for survival and proliferation of cultured porcine PGC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis 95616, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D005865:Gestational Age; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015850:Interleukin-6; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000494:pharmacology; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D006133:Growth Substances; D015850:Interleukin-6; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D008222:Lymphokines; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2