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Embryos and embryonic stem cells from the white rhinoceros.

ABSTRACT: 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.

SUBMITTER: Hildebrandt TB

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6031672 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Embryos and embryonic stem cells from the white rhinoceros.

Hildebrandt Thomas B TB Hermes Robert R Colleoni Silvia S Diecke Sebastian S Holtze Susanne S Renfree Marilyn B MB Stejskal Jan J Hayashi Katsuhiko K Drukker Micha M Loi Pasqualino P Göritz Frank F Lazzari Giovanna G Galli Cesare C

Nature communications 20180704 1

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, w ...[more]

PMID: 29973581

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Dataset Information

Embryos and embryonic stem cells from the white rhinoceros.

Publications

Embryos and embryonic stem cells from the white rhinoceros.

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