Genetic rescue of an endangered mammal by cross-species nuclear transfer using post-mortem somatic cells

Abstract

Since the advent of procedures for cloning animals, conservation biologists have proposed using this technology to preserve endangered mammals. Here we report the successful cloning of a wild endangered animal, Ovis orientalis musimon, using oocytes collected from a closely related, domesticated species, Ovis aries. We injected enucleated sheep oocytes with granulosa cells collected from two female mouflons found dead in the pasture. Blastocyst-stage cloned embryos transferred into sheep foster mothers established two pregnancies, one of which produced an apparently normal mouflon. Our findings support the use of cloning for the expansion of critically endangered populations.

Des ovules en abondance ?

“…Une autre perspective s'apparente plutôt au clonage interspé-cifique et consisterait à introduire un noyau somatique humain dans un ovocyte de femelle animale, en espérant réaliser un ovule chimérique à l'issue de la méiose in vitro. Ce bricolage a été réalisé avec succès, dans le cadre de la préservation d'animaux menacés, pour des espèces très proches: croisements mouflon/mouton [23] ou bovin sauvage (Bos javanicus)/bovin domestique (Bos taurus) [24]. Des auteurs chinois ont même tenté de conserver ainsi le panda géant, mais leur expérience audacieuse (génome de panda introduit dans l'ovule de lapin et gestation de l'embryon chimérique assurée par une chatte…) n'a pas conduit à la naissance, bien que le dévelop-pement post-implantatoire, chez la chatte, de clones interspé-cifiques panda-lapin soit rapporté [25].…”

A protocol for the cryoconservation of breeds by low-cost emergency cell banks – a pilot study

“…A somatic cell bank consists of ear-tag tissues, which can be preserved in liquid nitrogen (LN) and subsequently used as donor cells for animal cloning. During the last decade, the technique of reproductive somatic nuclear transfer (NT) was successfully applied in livestock (sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, horses), rodents (mice, rats) and pet animals (cats, dogs), as reviewed in Kues and Niemann (2004), and also in the preservation of endangered breeds (Lanza et al, 2000;Wells et al, 1998;White et al, 1999) and wild animal species (Loi et al, 2001). The best success rates in terms of live offspring so far were obtained with cloned cattle and goats.…”

Identification of differential transcript profiles between mutual crossbred embryos of zebrafish (Danio rerio) and Chinese rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) by cDNA-AFLP

“…In previous studies of animal cloning, the majority of intra-species nuclear transfers (NTs) yielded cloned individuals identical to their nuclear donor species either on the basis of phenotype or genotype [1][2][3][4][5]. However, this was not the case for cross-species NT, wherein enucleated eggs cytoplasm had an obvious impact on the mitochondrial genetic materials and the development of NT embryos [6,7].…”