Publications by authors named "M J McGrew"
Article Synopsis
- * Transplanting PGCs into sterile hybrid hosts can facilitate gamete production without interference from the host's existing germ cells, presenting a simpler method than other procedures like busulphan treatment.
- * The study found that chicken PGCs injected into hybrid embryos resulted in nearly complete colonization of the gonads and the eventual production of mature sperm, although this process was slower than in standard domestic fowls, possibly due to hormonal factors.
Article Synopsis
- A new method has been developed to directly introduce frozen embryonic gonadal germ cells (GGC) into sterile chicken hosts to help preserve chicken breeds and their genetic materials.
- The technique is particularly efficient using male gonads, but obtaining enough viable female gonads for breeding is challenging due to limited egg production in certain chicken breeds.
- A simplified culture method allows for high-purity GGC to be recovered from frozen 9.5-day-old embryonic gonads, supporting the biobanking of indigenous chicken breeds and potentially other bird species.
Innovations in poultry reproduction using cryopreserved avian germ cells.
Reprod Domest Anim
May 2024
Meat and eggs from chicken are the major source of animal protein for the human population. The cryopreservation of poultry species is needed to guarantee sustainable production. Here, we describe the existing cryopreservation technologies for avian reproductive cells using embryonic germ cells, spermatozoa and ovarian tissues.
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- Conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) are critical antigen-presenting cells that connect the body's immune responses, but their characteristics in chickens are not well understood compared to mammals.
- This study employs gene-editing and single-cell RNA sequencing to identify and analyze a specific cDC subset in chickens that expresses a chemokine receptor called XCR1, highlighting its prominence in the spleen as chickens reach sexual maturity.
- The research also suggests that these XCR1 cDCs play a similar role in activating CD8 T-cells in chickens as they do in mammals, indicating a likely evolutionary conservation in immune function across species.
Article Synopsis
- Chickens with genetic edits that alter the ANP32A protein show resistance to avian influenza, preventing infections in most cases.
- When exposed to a stronger virus dose, some edited chickens still got infected due to mutations in the virus that adapted to the changes in the chicken's genes.
- Further genome editing to remove additional related proteins (ANP32B and ANP32E) successfully eliminated all viral growth, highlighting the need for multiple genetic changes to effectively combat viral adaptations.