Generation of transgenic quail through germ cell-mediated germline transmission

Here, we describe the production of transgenic quail via a germline transmission system using postmigratory gonadal primordial germ cells (gPGCs). gPGCs retrieved from the embryonic gonads of 5-day-old birds were transduced with a lentiviral vector and subsequently transferred into recipient embryos. Testcross and genetic analyses revealed that among three germline chimeric G0 quail, one male produced transgenic offspring; of 310 hatchlings from the transgenic germline chimera, 24 were identified as donor-derived offspring, and 6 were transgenic (6/310, 1.9%). Conventional transgenesis using stage X blastodermal embryos was also conducted, but the efficiency of transgenesis was similar between the two systems (<1.6 vs. 1.9% for the conventional and gPGC-mediated systems, respectively). However, substantial advantages can be gained from gPGC-mediated method in that it enables an induced germline modification, whereas direct retroviral transfer to stage X embryos causes mosaic integration. The use of gonadal PGCs for transgenesis may lead to the production of bioreactors.