• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.1536-1540
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• 2012

Chicken primordial germ cells (cPGCs) are founder germ cells in embryonic stage of development that eventually give rise to sperms or oocytes. Currently cPGCs are only known cells enabling germline transmission in chicken and their cultivation protocols were recently established. Although genome modifications of chickens are now theoretically possible using cPGCs, there are still several hurdles to overcome to practically use cPGCs as mediators for chicken transgenesis. First, efficiency of gene delivery into cPGCs remains low with current methods. Second, there aregene silencing mechanisms against the expression of foreign genes in cPGCs. In this study, we successfully increased the efficiency of gene delivery in cPGCs by taking advantage of the TTAA-specific $piggybac$ transposon system. Moreover, a pipette-type electroporator significantly enhanced transfection efficiency up to 5-fold compared withcuvette-type methods. Taken together, the technological advances in our study will provide practical benefits for the application to fulfill genetic modifications of chicken genome.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.427-434
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• 1994

The primordial germ cells (PGCs) were transfected in vitro and expressed the exogenous RSVLTR/${\beta}G2$ plasmid, suggesting thaI PGC is a possible vector for direct gene transfer into the germ line. Transfection efficiency of cell suspensions containing PGCs was 1.5% by liposome mediated DNA transfection. By microinjection of the transfected PGCs into the host germinal crescent, PGCs migrated via blood vessel to the future gonad and these transfected PGCs resulted in the RSVLTR/${\beta}G2$ expression in the gonad. The results from the seeding of PGCs on the chorioallantoic membrane were insufficient to test the hypothesis that PGCs can penetrate or invade the chorioallantoic membrane for transport via the circulatory system.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Poultry Science Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.88-90
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• 2000

Although primordial germ cells(PGCs) have been used in the production of germline chimera, efficiency has not been satisfactory. The Present study was conducted to improve efficiency of germline chimera production using the cultured gonadal PGCs(gPGCs). Germline chimeric chickens were produced by transfer of cultured gonadal primordial germ cells from Korean Ogol Chicken (KOC) to White Leghorn (5.5-day-old) and cultured in vitro for 10 days. Approximately 200 gPGCs (2-day-old) recipient embryos from which blood had been withdrawn via the dorsal aorta prior to the injection. Recipient embryos were incubated until hatching. Germline chimerism of the chickens reaching maturity was examined by mating them with Korean Ogol Chicken. Donor-derived offspring were identified as germline chimeric chickens based on their feather color. The frequency of germline transmission of donor PGCs ranged 1.9∼60.7%. There was no difference between both sexes. Therefore, it can be concluded that efficiency of germline chimerism can be improved via using cultured gPGCs.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.61-69
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• 1996

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) were manipulated as part of the system to produce transgenic chickens. PGCs were isolated from the germinal crescent of developmental stage 6 to 8 donor emhryos of the Korean Native Ogol Chickens (KNOC). These PGCs were transfected with plasmid DNA containing the lac Z gene by liposome mediated transfection methods. The lac Z gene was transfected and expressed in the PGCs. These transfected PGCs were injected into the germinal crescent of White Leghorn embryos (stage 6 to 8). The injected transfected PGCs migrated via the circulatory system into the future gonad and expression observed in the gonads of 3 day old chick. Of the 47 embryos and 3 day old chickens, one positive PGCs gonad from sacrificed young chickens was detected by appearance of blue cells. Plasmid DNA with the foreign gene was incorporated into the population of germ cells in the gonad. These results demonstrate that PGCs can he transfected and then transferred for colonization into the gonad, and show the potential to ultimately manipulate the genetic material of the chicken gernline.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.459-466
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• 1994

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) in aves are the progenitor cells for the gametes. These cells first appear in the epiblast (Eyal-Giladi et al.. 1981). Then translocate and concentrate to endoderm of germinal crescent area in the junction of the area opaca and area pellucida lateral to the primitive streak in stage 4 through 7. They separate from the endoderm, temporarily circulate via the blood vascular system, leave the blood vessels, and finally settle down in the gonadal anlagen at stage 20-24 where they rapidly proliferate to form germ cells. Recently, several attempts have been made to introduce foreign gene into the avian genome to form a transgenic chicken. The stem cells most readily available as vehicles for genetic manipulation of germline in avian species are the PGCs. PGCs have recently been manipulated genetically and used successfully as a vector for gene transfer.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.557-562
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• 1995

In this study, characteristics of chick primordial germ cells (PGCs), which is the founder cell of the germline, and gonadal development of the chick embryo between 12hrs and 6 day of incubation were investigated by transverse serial sections of chick embryos under the light microscopic observation. In embryo stage 20 (3 day of incubation), there are a lot of PGCs at the mesenchym, which were moving to the thickened epithelium (gonadal ridge). The PGCs arrive at both right and left gonad primordial in equal number prior to stage 24 (4 day of incubation), but in the following stages, the distribution of the PGCs became asymmetrical. More PGCs colonized the left than the right gonad, but the reason for the unequal distribution of PGCs is uncertain. The PGCs have mostly settled in the gonadal ridge (GR) at 6 day embryo. This study was conducted to investigate characteristics of the PGC migration and gonadal formation and observe the best condition for PGC isolation, culture and to attempt the possibility of the production for transgenic germline chimeras with manipulated PGCs.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Poultry Science Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.96-97
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• 2002

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the progenitors of the sperms or eggs of adult. Evidence suggests that the specification of primordial germ cells (PGCs) in the mammalian embryo does not depend on maternal determinants. Recent previous studies in the mouse has shown that several bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are required for the formation of PGCs. However, there is no study about the effect of BMPs on avian PGCs. Here, we studied the effects of recombinant human BMP-2 (rhBMP-2) and recombinant human BMP-4 (rhBMP-4) on chicken blastodermal cells in culture. As a results, the addition of rhBMP-2 and rhBMP-4 increased the number of SSEA-1 positive cells in dose-dependent manner. However, there is no synergic effect by using both rhBMP-2 and rhBMP-4.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.1227-1231
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• 2002

A powerful tool for chicken transgenesis could be established by employing a germline chimera production through primordial germ cell transplantation. This study was conducted to examine whether foreign gene-transfected gonadal primordial germ cells (gPGCs) have a migration activity into the gonad after transfer to recipient embryos. In Experiment 1, gPGCs of Korean Ogol Chicken were retrieved from 5.5-day-old embryos and subsequently transferred to the dorsal aorta of 2.5-day-old White Leghorn embryos after being labeled with PKH26 fluorescent dye. To confirm migration activity after transplantation, recipient embryos were sacrificed and examined on 3 days after transfer. Sex determination was concomitantly undertaken to examine whether sex of recipient embryos could affect the migration activity of gPGCs. All of embryonic gonads examined showed positive signals with PKH26 fluorescence and W-chromosome specific band by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was detected in male embryos when gPGCs with ZW chromosome were transferred to recipient embryos. In Experiment 2, retrieved gPGCs were transfected with LacZ gene-containing cytomegalovirus promoter ($pCMV{\beta}$) by electroporation and subsequently transferred to recipient embryos. LacZ gene expression was identified in the gonads of 6 or 10-day-old recipient embryos and hatched-chicks. A total of 20 embryos and 12 hatched-chicks were examined and 11 of them (10 embryos and one hatched chicken; 11/32=34.4%) expressed $\beta$-galactosidase, a marker substance of LacZ gene. The results of this study demonstrated that foreign gene-transfected gPGCs can migrate and settle down into the gonad after being transferred into the blood vessel of the recipient embryos. This established technique will contribute to developing a peer biotechnology for transgenic chicken.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.358-367
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• 2008

The embryonic germ cell (EGCs) of mice is a kind of pluripotent stem cell that can be generated from pre- and post-migratory primordial germ cells (PGCs). Most previous studies on DNA methylation of EGCs were restricted to 12.5 days post coitum (dpc). This study was designed to establish and characterize murine EGC lines from migrated PGCs as late as 13.5 dpc and to estimate the degrees of methylation of their imprinted genes as well as of the non-imprinted locus, Oct4, using an accurate and quantitative method of measurement. We established five independent EGC lines from post migratory PGCs of 11.5-13.5 dpc from C57BL/6 ${\times}$ DBA/2 F1 hybrid mouse fetuses. All the EGCs exhibited the typical features of pluripotent cells including hypomethylation of the Oct4 regulatory region. We examined the methylation status of three imprinted genes; Igf2, Igf2r and H19 in the five EGC lines using bisulfite genomic sequencing analysis. Igf2r was almost unmethylated in all the EGC lines irrespective of the their sex and stage of isolation; Igf2 and H19 were more methylated than Igf2r, especially in male EGCs. Moreover, EGCs derived at 13.5 dpc exhibited higher levels of DNA methylation than those from earlier stages. These results suggest that in vitro derived EGCs acquire different epigenotypes from their parental in vivo migratory PGCs, and that sex-specific de novo methylation occurs in the Igf2 and H19 genes of EGCs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.1514-1517
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• 2000

In chicken, exogenous genes introduced into germinal crescent region (GCR) of the early developmental stage, where primordial germ cells (PGCs) were concentrated, were successfully transferred to the gonads via PGCs. The foreign genes were also confirmed to be successfully incorporated into F1 and F2 generations. We tried to incorporate the exogenous genes into PGCs by lipofection, then the DNA mixture was injected into GCR at stage 3-5 or 9-11 of embryonic development (Hamburger and Hamilton, 1951). The manipulated eggs were incubated, and hatched chicks were reared until sexual maturation. F1 generation was obtained from the DNA-treated chicken (DNA-chicken) mated with normal birds. Furthermore, F2 generation was also obtained from the F1 chicken mated with normal birds. The transfer of introduced foreign genes were confirmed by marker gene detection methods and PCR analysis in the hatched chicks, F1 and F2 generations. However, in our experiments, DNA-chickens showed abnormal characteristics such as low egg production rate, abnormal appearance and decreased number of spermatozoa. In the case of F1 chicken, low egg production and the deterioration of sperm capacity for insemination in male chicken were observed.