Primordial germ cell-specific expression of eGFP in transgenic chickens

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Genetics
• Avian Biology

Background:

• The role of PRDM14 in mammalian primordial germ cell (PGC) development is established, but its function in avian species remains largely unknown.
• This study investigates the function of PRDM14 in chicken development using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology.
• The eGFP gene was utilized to knockout PRDM14 and simultaneously label PGCs in cultured chicken cells.

Discussion:

• CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene trapping successfully generated heterozygous gene-trapped chickens, with eGFP expression specifically marking PGCs.
• These heterozygous chickens exhibited normal growth and development, with eGFP localized to circulating and gonadal PGCs.
• Homozygous gene-trapped embryos showed normal ratios at the blastodermal stage but underwent subsequent embryonic lethality.

Key Insights:

• PRDM14 is essential for early embryonic development in chickens.
• Gene trapping via CRISPR/Cas9 is an effective method for studying PGC development in avian species.
• Loss of PRDM14 function leads to severe developmental defects and embryonic lethality in chickens.

Outlook:

• Further research can elucidate the precise molecular mechanisms by which PRDM14 regulates early chicken embryogenesis.
• Investigating downstream targets of PRDM14 will provide deeper insights into germ cell specification and differentiation pathways.
• This model system could be utilized for studying other genes critical for avian germline development and fertility.