This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 136/1/85    most recent REP-07-0433v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (3) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Arregui, L. Articles by Dobrinski, I. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Arregui, L. Articles by Dobrinski, I.

Xenografting of sheep testis tissue and isolated cells as a model for preservation of genetic material from endangered ungulates

¹ Center for Animal Transgenesis and Germ Cell Research, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania 19348, USA and² Reproductive Biology and Ecology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28006 Madrid, Spain

Correspondence should be addressed to I Dobrinski; Email: dobrinsk{at}vet.upenn.edu

Recovery of germ cells could be an option for preservation of the genetic pool of endangered animals. In immature males, xenografting of testis tissue provides the opportunity to recover sperm from these animals. In adult animals, xenografting has been less successful, but de novo morphogenesis of functional testis tissue from dissociated testis cells could be an alternative. To assess the potential use of these techniques in endangered bovid species, the domestic sheep was used as a model. Testes from 2-week-old lambs were grafted as tissue fragments or cell suspensions into nude mice. Grafts were recovered at 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks post grafting. For isolated cells, two additional time points at 35 and 40 weeks after grafting were added. In addition, to analyse the possible effect of social stress among mice within a group on the development of the grafts, testis tissue grafts were recovered 13 weeks post grafting from mice housed individually and in groups. Complete spermatogenesis occurred in sheep testis xenografts at 12 weeks, similar to the situation in situ. Isolated sheep testis cells were able to reorganize and form functional testicular tissue de novo. Housing mice individually or in groups did not have any effect on the development of xenografts. Xenografting of testis tissue might be useful to obtain sperm from immature endangered ungulates that die prematurely. Testis tissue de novo morphogenesis from isolated cells could open interesting options to recover germ cells from mature males with impaired spermatogenesis.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. R Rodriguez-Sosa, R. A Foster, and A. Hahnel Development of strips of ovine testes after xenografting under the skin of mice and co-transplantation of exogenous spermatogonia with grafts Reproduction, January 1, 2010; 139(1): 227 - 235. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. R Rodriguez-Sosa and I. Dobrinski Recent developments in testis tissue xenografting Reproduction, August 1, 2009; 138(2): 187 - 194. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]