First study on repeatable culture of primordial germ cells from various embryonic regions with giant feeder cells in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica).

Japanese quail (JQ, Coturnix japonica) is a farmed animal with a high economic value and has been used extensively as an avian model for research. Germline chimera production based on cryopreserved primordial germ cells (PGCs) is possible for conservation management of quail breeds as successful isolation has been reported of PGCs from their blood and gonads. However, the repeatable cultivation protocol has not been elucidated yet, which has hindered technological development.

Initiative on Avian Primordial Germ Cell Cryobanking in Thailand.

Biobanking the reproductive tissues or cells of animals preserves the genetic and reproductive ability of the species in long-term storage and promotes sharing of reproductive materials. In avian species, the primordial germ cell (PGC) is one of the most promising reproductive cells to be preserved in biobanks, due to self-renewal properties and direct access to the germ line mediated by PGC transfer. To conserve the genetic resource of local chicken breeds that are of conservation importance, we systematically isolated two types of pregonadal PGCs from chicken embryos-circulating and tissue PGCs.

Primordial germ cells isolated from individual embryos of red junglefowl and indigenous pheasants of Thailand.

Interspecific germline chimerism mediated by transplantation of primordial germ cells (PGCs) of wild species to domestic hosts promises the conservation of wild birds. Cryopreservation of avian eggs and embryos is impracticable, and currently only frozen PGCs enable conservation of both the male and female descendants. Purebred offspring have been obtained from germline chimeras of wild avian species, proving the feasibility of such technology.