PROLIFERATION OF CHICK PRIMORDIAL GERM-CELLS CULTURED ON STROMA CELLSFROM THE GERMINAL RIDGE

Fluorescent reagent-labelled PGCs isolated from the blood of 2-day-old chick embryos were cultured on stroma cells derived from 5-day-old ge rminal ridge in Medium 199 supplemented with 10% FBS, human IGF-1, bov ine FGF-b, and murine LIF. In 7 experiments, the number of MCs increas ed by an average of 4.8 fold in 4 days. Intrinsic PGCs in the 5-day em bryonic germinal ridge were observed loosely attached to the stroma ce lls, and they also increased 3.8 fold during culture for 4 days. These results indicate the possibility of applying this culture method to t he production of transgenic chickens.