Generation of transgenic quail through germ cell‐mediated germline transmission

Abstract

ABSTRACT Here, we describe the production of transgenic quail via a germline transmission system using postmigratory gonadal primordial germ cells (gPGCs). gPGCs retrieved from the embryonic gonads of 5‐day‐old birds were transduced with a lentiviral vector and subsequently transferred into recipient embryos. Testcross and genetic analyses revealed that among three germline chimeric G0 quail, one male produced transgenic offspring;of 310 hatchlings from the transgenic germline chimera, 24 were identified as donor‐derived offspring, and 6 were transgenic (6/310, 1.9%). Conventional transgenesis using stage × blastodermal embryos was also conducted, but the efficiency of transgenesis was similar between the two systems (<1.6 vs . 1.9% for the conventional and gPGC‐mediated systems, respectively). However, substantial advantages can be gained from gPGC‐mediated method in that it enables an induced germline modification, whereas direct retroviral transfer to stage X embryos causes mosaic integration. The use of gonadal PGCs for transgenesis may lead to the production of bioreactors.—Shin, S. S., Kim, T. M., Kim, S. Y., Kim, T. W., Seo, H. W., Lee, S. K., Kwon, S. C., Lee, G. S., Kim, H., Lim, J. M., Han, J. Y. Generation of transgenic quail through germ cell‐mediated germline transmission. FASEB J. 22, 2435–2444 (2008)