Chicken Stem Cells as a Model to Generate Transgenic Chicken: Present and Perspectives

Abstract

Over the past 3 decades, different strategies were launched to obtain transgenic animals and chicken in particular. Among various technical approaches, the direct modification of the embryo with DNA vectors or viruses is one of the ways of choice which led to the generation of transgenic chicken. In parallel, cellular approaches were also actively developed and were mainly based either on the use of embryonic stem cells (ESC) or of primordial germ cells (PGC). Both cellular types present advantages and disadvantages. ESC can be easily amplified in vitro and genetically modified but until now failed to contribute efficienctly to the germ line. In contrast, PGC colonize the germ line but present a limited proliferative potential and are hardly modified in vitro. The exact developmental and molecular relationships between these two cell types are not well documented. Finally, recent development and demonstration of the lentiviruses efficiency revivifies the interest for transgenic chicken as a tool for developmental studies as well as potential biotechnological and agronomic purposes.

Keywords

• blastoderm
• chicken
• germ cells
• pluripotency
• stem cell