Generation and characterization of rabbit embryonic stem cells.
We described the derivation of four stable pluripotent rabbit embryonic stem cell (ESC) lines, one (RF) from blastocysts fertilized in vivo and cultured in vitro and three (RP01, RP02, and RP03) from parthenogenetic blastocysts. These ESC lines have been cultivated for extended periods (RF >1 year, RP01 >8 months, RP02 >8 months, and RP03 >6 months) in vitro while maintaining expression of pluripotent ESC markers and a normal XY or XX karyotype. The ESCs from all lines expressed alkaline phosphatase, transcription factor Oct-4, stage-specific embryonic antigens (SSEA-1, SSEA-3, and SSEA-4), and the tumor-related antigens (TRA-1-60 and TRA-1-81). Similar to human and mouse ESCs, rabbit ESCs expressed pluripotency (Oct-4, Nanog, SOX2, and UTF-1) and signaling pathway genes (fibroblast growth factor, WNT, and transforming growth factor pathway). Morphologically, rabbit ESCs resembled primate ESCs, whereas their proliferation characteristics were more like those seen in mouse ESCs. Rabbit ESCs were induced to differentiate into many cell types in vitro and formed teratomas with derivatives of the three major germ layers in vivo when injected into severe combined immunodeficient mice. Our results showed that pluripotent, stable ESC lines could be derived from fertilized and parthenote-derived rabbit embryos.
Wang
Shufen
S
Kunming Primate Research Center and Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 32# Jiaochang Donglu, Kunming Yunnan, 650223, China.
Tang
Xianghui
X
Niu
Yuyu
Y
Chen
Hongwei
H
Li
Bin
B
Li
Tianqing
T
Zhang
Xiuzhen
X
Hu
Zhixin
Z
Zhou
Qi
Q
Ji
Weizhi
W
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005796:Genes; D005855:Germ Layers / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D051379:Mice; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology; D011817:Rabbits; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D015415:Biomarkers