ABSTRACT

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) naturally originate from early embryos or the germ line and can also be artifi cially induced from somatic cells. Under the right culture conditions, they proliferate indefi nitely while retaining the ability to produce all adult cell types, including functional gametes, even after extensive genetic modifi cation. Being routinely available and easily manipulated in mouse, PSCs have propelled this species as the prime experimental model organism for studying mammalian genetics, development and physiology. Ever since they were fi rst described, there has been an interest to derive analogous cells from farm animals, in particular pig and cattle. Livestock PSCs would expand basic research from small rodents to large mammals with greater relevance for human biology and disease modelling. They would also serve as unique reproductive tools for a range of biomedical and agricultural applications, especially when combined with genome-wide selection and transgenesis. However, all attempts to isolate

AgResearch Ltd., Ruakura Research Centre, 10 Bisley Road, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton, New Zealand. *Corresponding author: bjorn.oback@agresearch.co.nz

List of abbreviations after the text.