LONG-TERM IN-VITRO CULTURE AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AVIAN EMBRYONIC STEM-CELLS WITH MULTIPLE MORPHOGENETIC POTENTIALITIES

Petitte, J. N., Clarck, M. E., Verrinder Gibbins, A. M. and R. J. Etch es (1990; Development 108, 185-189) demonstrated that chicken early bl astoderm contains cells able to contribute to both somatic and germina l tissue when injected into a recipient embryo, However, these cells w ere neither identified nor maintained in vitro, Here, we show that chi cken early blastoderm contains cells characterised as putative avian e mbryonic stem (ES) cells that can be maintained in vitro for long-term culture, These cells exhibit features similar to those of murine ES c ells such as typical morphology, strong reactivity toward specific ant ibodies, cytokine-dependent extended proliferation and high telomerase activity, These cells also present high capacities to differentiate i n vitro into various cell types including cells from ectodermic, mesod ermic and endodermic lineages, Production of chimeras after injection of the cultivated cells reinforced the view that our culture system ma intains in vitro some avian putative ES cells.