Master the genome-editing technology in birds

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22286
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 38:Agricultural chemistry and related fields
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Horiuchi Hiroyuki 広島大学, 統合生命科学研究科(生), 教授 (80243608)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 鳥類 / ゲノム編集 / ニワトリ / 始原生殖細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this research, I conducted the following research on chickens, which are birds whose application of genome editing technology has been delayed and obtained research results. In simplifying the culture of PGC, which is the target cell for genome editing in chickens, I selected low-molecular-weight compounds and succeeded in constructing a culture method that promotes proliferative ability while maintaining germ cell differentiation ability. I discovered that heparin, which contributes to the stabilization of FGF2, which is essential as an additive for cultured PGC, significantly reduces the introduction efficiency of genome editing tools, and constructed a countermeasure. As a preliminary step to create a genome- editing chicken, I constructed an early in vitro evaluation system.

Free Research Field

農芸化学およびその関連分野

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果は，今後，鳥類へのゲノム編集技術を加速させるための多くの知見を集積させることに成功した。特にニワトリは，食品や医薬品生産において利用される重要な産業動物であり，本研究成果はこれらの分野に大きく貢献することが期待される。特に鶏卵のアレルギー問題（食品やワクチン生産），動物愛護を重視した雌雄の産み分けや判定方法の簡易化，感染症対策として高病原性鳥インフルエンザへの貢献が十分に期待される。