Two of the unanswered questions in mammalian developmental biology are when and where the fate of the germ cell is specified. Here, we report that stem cells isolated from the skin of porcine fetuses have the intrinsic ability to differentiate into oocyte-like cells. When differentiation was induced, a subpopulation of these cells expressed markers such as Oct4, Growth differentiation factor 9b (GDF9b), the Deleted in Azoospermia-like (DAZL) gene and Vasa - all consistent with germ-cell formation. On further differentiation, these cells formed follicle-like aggregates that secreted oestradiol and progesterone and responded to gonadotropin stimulation. Some of these aggregates extruded large oocyte-like cells that expressed oocyte markers, such as zona pellucida, and the meiosis marker, synaptonemal complex protein 3 (SCP3). Some of these oocyte-like cells spontaneously developed into parthenogenetic embryo-like structures. The ability to generate oocyte-like cells from skin-derived cells may offer new possibilities for tissue therapy and provide a new in vitro model to study germ-cell formation and oogenesis.

Nanoparticles have been used as diagnostic and therapeutic agents in the human medical field for quite some time, though their application in veterinary medicine and animal production is still relatively new. Recently, production demands on the livestock industry have been centered around the use of antibiotics as growth promoters due to growing concern over microbial antibiotic resistance. With many countries reporting increased incidences of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, laws and regulations are being updated to end in-feed antibiotic use in the animal production industry. This sets the need for suitable alternatives to be established for inclusion in feed. Many reports have shown evidence that nanoparticles may be good candidates for animal growth promotion and antimicrobials. The current status and advancements of nanotechnological applications in animal production will be the focus of this review and the emerging roles of nanoparticles for nutrient delivery, biocidal agents, and tools in veterinary medicine and reproduction will be discussed. Additionally, influences on meat, egg, and milk quality will be reviewed.

Stem cells from farm animals are valuable cell models for the study of development, differentiation, and are potential efficient donors for nuclear transfer. Here we report the isolation and characterization of stem cells from porcine skin. These porcine skin-originated sphere (PSOS) cells expressed the neural progenitor marker, nestin, as well as genes that are critical for pluripotency such as Oct4 and Stat3. The PSOS cells proliferated actively in vitro and retained normal karyotype after long-term culture. When cultured in defined medium, they generated cells with characteristics of neurons and astrocytes. A subpopulation of cells differentiated into adipocyte-like cells when cultured in 10% fetal bovine serum. Clonal study demonstrated that PSOS exhibited clonal-generating capability. Clonal populations from individual stem cells could form neuron-, astrocyte-, and adipocyte-like cells upon inducted differentiation. Our findings represent the first report of skin-originated stem cells isolated from non-rodent animals.

Estradiol is a steroid hormone that not only plays an important role in ovarian follicular development but also is associated with many reproductive disorders. Owing to the importance of aromatase in the production of estradiol, the regulation of aromatase gene expression at the transcriptional level has been an extensive area of study for over two decades. However, its regulation at the posttranscriptional level has remained unclear. Here, we show that micro-RNA378 (miR-378) is spatiotemporally expressed in porcine granulosa cells, the cells that generate estradiol in the ovary during follicular development, in an inverse manner compared with the expression of aromatase. In vitro overexpression and inhibition experiments revealed that aromatase expression, and therefore estradiol production, by granulosa cells, is posttranscriptionally down-regulated by miR-378. Furthermore, site-directed mutation studies identified two binding sites in the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of the aromatase coding sequence that are critical for the action of miR-378. Interestingly, overexpression of the aromatase 3'-UTR enhanced aromatase expression at the protein level in granulosa cells, possibly mediated by the binding of miR-378 within this region, thereby reducing the binding of this micro-RNA to the endogenous aromatase 3'-UTR.