title: Capture of authentic embryonic stem cells from rat blastocysts.
abstract: Embryonic stem (ES) cells have been available from inbred mice since 1981 but have not been validated for other rodents. Failure to establish ES cells from a range of mammals challenges the identity of cultivated stem cells and our understanding of the pluripotent state. Here we investigated derivation of ES cells from the rat. We applied molecularly defined conditions designed to shield the ground state of authentic pluripotency from inductive differentiation stimuli. Undifferentiated cell lines developed that exhibited diagnostic features of ES cells including colonization of multiple tissues in viable chimeras. Definitive ES cell status was established by transmission of the cell line genome to offspring. Derivation of germline-competent ES cells from the rat paves the way to targeted genetic manipulation in this valuable biomedical model species. Rat ES cells will also provide a refined test-bed for functional evaluation of pluripotent stem cell-derived tissue repair and regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Stem Cell Research, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH93JQ, UK.
authors.forename: Mia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buehr
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meek
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ure
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McLay
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Qi-Long
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: Austin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D053624:Blastocyst Inner Cell Mass / Q000166:cytology*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002460:Cell Line; D002678:Chimera; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D038341:Glycogen Synthase Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D038341:Glycogen Synthase Kinases; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases