Culture In Vitro of Chicken Primordial Germ Cells(PGCs)

This study was performed to characterize some related effects during chicken PGCs culture.Chicken PGCs were isolated from stage 19 genital ridge cultured on chicken fibroblast feeder layer in presence of growth factors.Frozen-thawed PGCs continued to proliferated when growth factors was added to the culture medium.However,differentiation into fibroblast-like cells or neuronal cells were observed after 1 or 2 passages.The PGCs in the culture were monitored according to their morphology,proliferative capability and karyotypes,and the alkaline phosphatase activity.The results suggested that it′s a reasonable to dissociate PGCs colonies using several times dissociation method after 6 days proliferation,the 5th passage PGCs that have been cultured in vitro not only maintained the undifferentiated state and normal diploid karyotype,but also bore the necessary characteristics of chicken PGCs,thus providing a promising source of donor-karyoplasts for gene transfer procedures.