Male fertility restored by transplanting primordial germ cells into testes: a new way towards efficient transgenesis in chicken

The ongoing progress in primordial germ cell derivation and cultivation is opening new ways in reproductive biotechnology. This study tested whether functional sperm cells can be matured from genetically manipulated primordial germ cells after transplantation in adult testes and used to restore fertility. We show that spermatogenesis can be restored after mCherry-expressing or GFP-expressing primordial germ cells are transplantated into the testes of sterilized G(0) roosters and that mCherry-positive or GFP-positive non-chimeric transgenic G(1) offspring can be efficiently produced. Compared with the existing approaches to primordial germ cell replacement, this new technique eliminates the germ line chimerism of G(0) roosters and is, therefore, faster, more efficient and requires fewer animals. Furthermore, this is the only animal model, where the fate of primordial germ cells in infertile recipients can be studied.