Influence and Optimization of Diverse Culture Systems on Chicken Embryonic Stem Cell Culture.

Background: The importance of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in chickens is undeniable, as they can be applied across various fields, including animal modeling, developmental biology, cell fate research, drug screening, toxicity testing, and gene function studies. However, a widely applicable culture system for chicken ESCs has yet to be developed.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of different culture systems on the derivation and maintenance of chicken ESCs, with a focus on optimizing the selected culture conditions.

Methods: To achieve this, we tested the effectiveness of various species-specific ESC media in the derivation and culture of chicken PGCs, while incorporating different small molecule compounds to optimize the process. The pluripotency and differentiation potential of the resulting ESC-like cells were also evaluated.

Results: The combination of PD0325901, SB431542, and LIF (R2i+LIF system) was found to be effective in generating chicken ESC-like clones. Further experiments showed that enhancing the R2i+LIF system with cytokines such as SCF and FGF2 significantly extended the culture period and increased the passage number of chicken ESC-like cells. These ESC-like cells were characterized through positive alkaline phosphatase staining and the expression of pluripotency markers POUV, NANOG, and SOX2. Additionally, differentiation assays confirmed their ability to form the three germ layers.

Conclusions: The newly developed culture system provides suitable conditions for the short-term culture of chicken ESCs. However, further optimization is required to establish a system that can sustain long-term maintenance.