Research note: Isolation and characterization of telocytes from the silky fowl embryonic skin

In this study, we sought to isolate telocytes (TCs) from embryonic silky fowl skin, characterize their morphological features, and establish a stable in vitro culture system. The isolated and cultured TCs exhibited canonical morphological features, including 2-3 cytoplasmic prolongations (telopodes, Tps) with a moniliform structure. Morphometric analysis using ImageJ (FIJI) software revealed that Tps had an average length of 78.56 ± 10.66 μm, while their podoms and podomers exhibited average thicknesses of 0.20 ± 0.01 μm and 0.06 ± 0.01 μm, respectively. Immunofluorescence staining confirmed the identity of the isolated cells, with positive expression of CD34 and vimentin, consistent with known TCs markers. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations indicated that Tps frequently established homocellular connections. Collectively, the isolated and in vitro-cultured cells exhibited structural and immunophenotypic features characteristic of TCs, confirming their successful isolation from avian embryonic skin. These cells establish a valuable in vitro model for future studies into the physiological functions of avian skin TCs.