Collection, Isolation, and Culture of Somatic Cells from Avian Semen

Abstract

Somatic cells in mammalian semen can be a potential source of nuclei for nuclear transfer to produce cloned animals. Somatic cells recovered from avian semen could also provide a source of cells for use in chimera formation or cloning of threatened and endangered birds. This type of assisted reproductive technology is especially important when a genetically unique animal has died and the only viable genetic material available is semen cryopreserved for artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization purposes. The usefulness of somatic cells obtained from fresh and frozen mammalian semen for nuclear transfer has already been evaluated, but still remains to be accomplished for avian semen. A non-invasive, or minimally invasive, technique to conserve avian genetic diversity via somatic cell collection from fresh avian semen, to our knowledge, has not been described. The present study investigated the use of fresh semen samples from domestic chickens ( Gallus domesticus) ( n = 7), i.e., white leghorn ( n = 4) and silkie chickens ( n = 3), as a source of somatic cells, specifically fibroblast-like cells and epithelial cells, for cytological analysis and somatic cell gene banking. Ultimately, somatic cell culture was successful for two of six selected samples (33.3%), with two of four white leghorn semen samples yielding cell cultures compared to 0 of 2 silkie chicken semen samples. Further research may include applying this technique to other avian species or address the effects of cryopreservation on the viability and DNA integrity of somatic cells derived in this manner.