Establishment of Bactrian Camel Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Prediction of Their Unique Pluripotency Genes

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can differentiate into all types of cells and can be used in livestock for research on biological development, genetic breeding, and in vitro genetic resource conservation. The Bactrian camel is a large domestic animal that inhabits extreme environments and holds value in the treatment of various diseases and the development of the local economy. Therefore, we transferred four mouse genes (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc) into Bactrian camel fetal fibroblasts (BCFFs) using retroviruses with a large host range to obtain Bactrian camel induced pluripotent stem cells (bciPSCs). They were comprehensively identified based on cell morphology, pluripotency gene and marker expression, chromosome number, transcriptome sequencing, and differentiation potential. The results showed the pluripotency of bciPSCs. However, unlike stem cells of other species, late formation of stem cell clones was observed; moreover, the immunofluorescence of SSEA1, SSEA3, and SSEA4 were positive, and teratoma formation took four months. These findings may be related to the extremely long gestation period and species specificity of Bactrian camels. By mining RNA sequence data, 85 potential unique pluripotent genes of Bactrian camels were predicted, which could be used as candidate genes for the production of bciPSC in the future. Among them, ASF1B, DTL, CDCA5, PROM1, CYTL1, NUP210, Epha3, and SYT13 are more attractive. In conclusion, we generated bciPSCs for the first time and obtained their transcriptome information, expanding the iPSC genetic information database and exploring the applicability of iPSCs in livestock. Our results can provide an experimental basis for Bactrian camel ESC establishment, developmental research, and genetic resource conservation.

Automated summary

In this study, Bactrian camel induced pluripotent stem cells (bciPSCs) were successfully generated by transferring four mouse genes into Bactrian camel fetal fibroblasts. The pluripotency of the bciPSCs was confirmed through various analyses, although late formation of stem cell clones was observed. The identification of potential unique pluripotent genes in Bactrian camels provides valuable information for future bciPSC production.