Reproduction of wild birds via interspecies germ cell transplantation.
The present study was conducted to apply an interspecies germ cell transfer technique to wild bird reproduction. Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) primordial germ cells (PGCs) retrieved from the gonads of 7-day-old embryos were transferred to the bloodstream of 2.5-day-old chicken (Gallus gallus) embryos. Pheasant-to-chicken germline chimeras hatched from the recipient embryos, and 10 pheasants were derived from testcross reproduction of the male chimeras with female pheasants. Gonadal migration of the transferred PGCs, their involvement in spermatogenesis, and production of chimeric semen were confirmed. The phenotype of pheasant progenies derived from the interspecies transfer was identical to that of wild pheasants. The average efficiency of reproduction estimated from the percentage of pheasants to total progenies was 17.5%. In conclusion, interspecies germ cell transfer into a developing embryo can be used for wild bird reproduction, and this reproductive technology may be applicable in conserving endangered bird species.
Kang
Seok Jin
SJ
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-921, Korea.
Choi
Jin Won
JW
Kim
Sun Young
SY
Park
Kyung Je
KJ
Kim
Tae Min
TM
Lee
Young Mok
YM
Kim
Heebal
H
Lim
Jeong Mook
JM
Han
Jae Yong
JY
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D001947:Breeding / Q000379:methods*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D046094:Galliformes / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000637:transplantation*; D008297:Male; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology; D018183:Transplantation Chimera / Q000196:embryology*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous