GENERATION OF RABBIT PLURIPOTENT STEM CELL LINES
A. Dinnyes A B C , M. K. Pirity B , E. Gocza D , P. Osteil G , N. Daniel E , Zs. Tancos A , Zs. Polgar B , P. Maraghechi D , O. Ujhelly B , C. Nemes B , T. Stout F , Y. Tapponnier G , Zs. Bosze D , A. Jouneau E , M. Afanassieff G and P. Savatier GA Molecular Animal Biotechnology Laboratory, Szent Istvan University, Gödöllö, Hungary;
B BioTalentum Ltd, Gödöllö, Hungary;
C Dept. of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands;
D Agricultural Biotechnology Center, Godollo, Hungary;
E INRA, UMR 1198 Biologie du Développement et Reproduction, F-78350 Jouy en Josas, France;
F Dept. Equine Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, the Netherlands;
G INSERM U846, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Bron, France
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 24(1) 286-286 https://doi.org/10.1071/RDv24n1Ab246
Published: 6 December 2011
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells have the capacity to divide indefinitely and to differentiate to all the somatic tissues. They can be genetically manipulated in vitro by knocking in and out genes, therefore they serve as an excellent tool for gene-function studies and for the generation of models for human diseases. Since 1981, when the first mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC) line was generated, several attempts have been made to generate pluripotent stem cells from other species as it would help us to understand the differences and similarities of signaling pathways involved in pluripotency and differentiation, and would reveal whether the fundamental mechanism controlling self-renewal of pluripotent cells is conserved among different species. This review gives an overlook of embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs) research in the rabbit which is one of the most relevant non-rodent species for animal models. To date, several lines of putative ESCs and iPSCs have been described in the rabbit. All expressed stem cell-associated markers and exhibited longevity and pluripotency in vitro, but none have been proven to exhibit full pluripotency in vivo. Moreover, similarly to several domestic species, markers used to characterize the putative ESCs are not fully adequate because studies in domestic species have revealed that they are not specific to the pluripotent inner cell mass. Future validation of rabbit pluripotent stem cells would benefit greatly from a reliable panel of molecular markers specific to pluripotent cells of the developing rabbit embryo. The status of isolation and characterization of the putative pluripotency genes in rabbit will be discussed. Using rabbit specific pluripotency genes we might be able to reprogram somatic cells and generate induced pluripotent stem cells more efficiently thus overcome some of the challenges towards harnessing the potential of this technology.
This study was financed by EU FP7 (PartnErS, PIAP-GA-2008-218205; InduHeart, PEOPLE-IRG-2008-234390; InduVir, PEOPLE-IRG-2009-245808; RabPstem, PERG07-GA-2010-268422; PluriSys, HEALTH-2007-B-223485; AniStem, PIAP-GA-2011-286264), NKTH-OTKA-EU-7KP HUMAN-MB08-C-80-205; Plurabbit, OMFB-00130-00131/2010 ANR-NKTH/09-GENM-010-01.
