Publication Database

Embryos and embryonic stem cells from the white rhinoceros (2018)

Art

Zeitschriftenartikel / wissenschaftlicher Beitrag

Autoren

Hildebrandt, Thomas B (WE 19)

Hermes, Robert

Colleoni, Silvia

Diecke, Sebastian

Holtze, Susanne

Renfree, Marilyn B

Stejskal, Jan

Hayashi, Katsuhiko

Drukker, Micha

Loi, Pasqualino

Göritz, Frank

Lazzari, Giovanna

Galli, Cesare

Quelle

Nature Communications

Bandzählung: 9

Heftzählung: 1

Seiten: 2589

ISSN: 2041-1723

Sprache

Englisch

Verweise

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04959-2

Pubmed: 29973581

Kontakt

Tierklinik für Fortpflanzung

Königsweg 65
Haus 27
14163 Berlin
+49 30 838 62618
fortpflanzungsklinik@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

The northern white rhinoceros (NWR, Ceratotherium simum cottoni) is the most endangered mammal in the world with only two females surviving. Here we adapt existing assisted reproduction techniques (ART) to fertilize Southern White Rhinoceros (SWR) oocytes with NWR spermatozoa. We show that rhinoceros oocytes can be repeatedly recovered from live SWR females by transrectal ovum pick-up, matured, fertilized by intracytoplasmic sperm injection and developed to the blastocyst stage in vitro. Next, we generate hybrid rhinoceros embryos in vitro using gametes of NWR and SWR. We also establish embryonic stem cell lines from the SWR blastocysts. Blastocysts are cryopreserved for later embryo transfer. Our results indicate that ART could be a viable strategy to rescue genes from the iconic, almost extinct, northern white rhinoceros and may also have broader impact if applied with similar success to other endangered large mammalian species.