Abstract
We are entering an exciting epoch in livestock biotechnology during which the fundamental approaches (such as transgenesis, spermatozoa cryopreservation and artificial insemination) will be enhanced based on the modern understanding of the biology of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) combined with the outstanding recent advances in genomic editing technologies and in vitro cell culture systems. The general aim of this review is to outline comprehensively the promising applications of SSC manipulation that could in the nearest future find practical application in livestock breeding. Here, we will focus on 1) the basics of mammalian SSC biology; 2) the approaches for SSC isolation and purification; 3) the available in vitro systems for the stable expansion of isolated SSCs; 4) a discussion of how the manipulation of SSCs can accelerate livestock transgenesis; 5) a thorough overview of the techniques of SSC transplantation in livestock species (including the preparation of recipients for SSC transplantation, the ultrasonographic-guided SSC transplantation technique in large farm animals, and the perspectives to improve further the SSC transplantation efficiency), and finally, 6) why SSC transplantation is valuable to extend the techniques of spermatozoa cryopreservation and/or artificial insemination. For situations where no reliable data have yet been obtained for a particular livestock species, we will rely on the data obtained from studies conducted in rodents because the knowledge gained from rodent research is translatable to livestock species to a great extent. On the other hand, we will draw special attention to situations where such translation is not possible.
Highlights
Introduction to mammalian spermatogenesisSpermatogonial stem cells Spermatogenesis is a delicately orchestrated process of continuous sperm cell production when billions of haploid spermatozoa are produced daily
Apart from its value in extending the techniques of spermatozoa cryopreservation and/or artificial insemination, the immense promise of SSC manipulation lies in the acceleration of transgenesis in farm animals
We reviewed advances in the establishment of effective long-term culture systems for the in vitro expansion of livestock germline stem cells
Summary
Spermatogonial stem cells Spermatogenesis is a delicately orchestrated process of continuous sperm cell production when billions of haploid spermatozoa are produced daily. The reproductive system of sexually mature males requires the presence of a stem cell pool to maintain an extremely high level of daily sperm production (as high as 31.3 billion of spermatozoa in a boar [1], 12.9 billion in a ram [2], 11.5 billion in a bull [3], 8 billion in a stallion [4] or 6.4 billion in a buck [5], [reviewed in [6]). SSCs, a group of SSC self-renewal: vital support from the niche In postnatal mammalian testes, SSCs reside within a specialized microenvironmental compartment of the seminiferous epithelium located near the basement membrane. These compartments, populated by SSCs and Sertoli cells, are canonically called niches. There are several niche-related cell types and structures in the testicular
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