Scientists delivered genome engineering tools to livestock cells with more than 90 percent efficiency using virus-like nanostructures, according to a study published on Wednesday in journals.plos.org.
The method bypassed traditional delivery hurdles in pigs and chickens.
Pigs and chickens remain vital livestock species for global food production while serving as key research models. Pigs act as translational models due to physiological similarities to humans, whereas chickens support developmental biology and immunology work. The new approach uses virus-like particles ranging from 20 to 200 nanometers to transport tools such as CRISPR/Cas9 and Cre recombinase.
Transduction efficiency reaches 90 percent in porcine and chicken cells
Researchers tested transduction efficiency on porcine primary kidney fibroblasts, chicken DT40 cells, and chicken primordial germ cells. Somatic porcine and chicken cells showed success rates exceeding 90 percent within 24 hours of receiving superfolder green fluorescent protein particles, as detailed in journals.plos.org. Red fluorescent protein mCherry particles achieved comparable results in the cultures.
Primordial germ cells required larger volumes of 20 microliters to match the 5-volume performance seen in somatic cells. The system also supported multiplexed CRISPR/Cas9 editing and Cre recombination across porcine cells, organoids, oocytes, and avian tracheal organ cultures. Reporter variants and catalytically inactive Cas9 versions further demonstrated platform versatility.
Livestock culture advancements align with 3R principles
The platform offers a time-saving strategy for livestock cultures across in vitro, ex vivo, and in ovo systems. These advancements align with the 3R principles by reducing the number of surplus animals required to generate desired genotypes. Funding from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft supported the study under project numbers 395357507 and 434524639, with no competing interests declared by the authors.
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