Distribution analysis of transferred donor cells in avian blastodermal chimeras.

Blastodermal chimeras were constructed by transferring quail cells to chick blastoderm. Contribution of donor cells to host were histologically analyzed utilizing an in situ cell marker. Of the embryos produced by injection of stage XI-XIII quail cells into stage XI-2 chick blastoderm, more than 50 percent were definite chimeras. The restriction on the spatial arrangement of donor cells was induced by varying the stage of host. Ectodermal chimerism was limited to the head region and no mesodermal chimerism was shown when the quail cells were injected into stage XI-XIII blastoderm. Mesodermal and ectodermal chimerisms were limited to the trunk, not to the head region, when the quail cells were injected into the stage XIV-2 blastoderm. In these chimeras, however, some of the injected quail cells formed ectopic epidermal cysts. Consequently, the stage XIV-2 blastoderm may become intolerant of the injected cells. Our results suggest that it is possible to obtain chimeras that have chimerism limited to a particular germ layer and region by varying the stage of donor cell injection. Injected quail cells contributed to endodermal tissues and primordial germ cells regardless of the injection site. The quail-chick blastodermal chimeras could be useful in the production of a transgenic chicken and in the investigation of immunological tolerance.     

Expression of mRNA for 3HADH in manipulated embryos to produce germline chimeric chickens

Germline chimeric chickens were produced by the transfer of primordial germ cells (PGCs) or blastoderm cells. The hatchability of eggs produced by transfer of exogenous PGCs is usually low. The purpose of the present study was investigated to express (3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase) 3HADH which is a limiting enzyme in the beta-oxidation of fatty acids for hatching energy. Manipulations of both donor and recipient eggshells were as follows. A window approximately 10 mm in diameter was opened at the pointed end of the eggs at stage 12–15 days incubation. Donor PGCs, taken from the blood vessels of donor embryos from fertilized eggs at the same stage of development, were injected into the blood vessels of recipient embryos. The muscles of chicks in the eggs with transferred PGCs were removed after 20 days of incubation. A cDNA was prepared from the total RNA. The expression of 3HADH in the manipulated embryos was investigated using real-time PCR analysis. Real-time PCR analysis showed that expression of 3HADH was reduced in the muscles of manipulated embryos.     

Differentiation of donor primordial germ cells into functional gametes in the gonads of mixed-sex germline chimaeric chickens produced by transfer of primordial germ cells isolated from embryonic blood

This study was carried out to elucidate whether primordial germ cells, obtained from embryonic blood and transferred into partially sterilized male and female recipient embryos, could differentiate into functional gametes and give rise to viable offspring. Manipulated embryos were cultured until hatching and the chicks were raised until maturity, when they were mated. When the sex of the donor primordial germ cells and the recipient embryo was the same, 15 out of 22 male chimaeric chickens (68.2%) and 10 out of 16 female chimaeric chickens (62.5%) produced donor-derived offspring. When the sex of the donor primordial germ cells and the recipient embryo was different, 4 out of 18 male chimaeric chickens (22.2%) and 2 out of 18 female chimaeric chickens (11.1%) produced donor-derived offspring. The rates of donor-derived offspring from the chimaeric chickens were 0.6-40.0% in male donor and male recipient and 0.4-34.9% in female donor and female recipient. However, the rates of donor-derived offspring from the chimaeric chickens were 0.4-0.9% in male donor and female recipient and 0.1-0.3% in female donor and male recipient. The presence of W chromosome-specific repeating sequences was detected in the sperm samples of male chimaeric chickens produced by transfer of female primordial germ cells. These results indicate that primordial germ cells isolated from embryonic blood can differentiate into functional gametes giving rise to viable offspring in the gonads of opposite-sex recipient embryos and chickens, although the efficiency was very low.     

Heterotopic transplantation in the syncytial blastoderm ofDrosophila: Evidence for anterior and posterior nuclear commitments

Summary The interaction ofDrosophila syncytial blastoderm nuclei and cortical cytoplasm in the control of somatic developmental commitments was studied by transplanting genetically marked nuclei and surrounding cytoplasm between anterior and posterior flanks. After completion of cellularization the host egg was cut. Host anterior or posterior partial embryos were cultured in adult abdomens for 8–10 days, then the larval tissue removed and injected into larval hosts for metamorphosis. Differentiated ectodermal implants were recovered from emerged adults and characterized. One hundred sixteen clearly interpretable control and experimental implants were found. Of the 73 experimental implants 15 were derived from donor nuclei.Among the 15 donor implants, 14 autonomously formed donor site anterior (head and thoracic) or posterior (abdomen and genital) structures. This donor autonomy is interpreted to mean that nuclear and cytoplasmic factors necessary for anterior and posterior somatic commitments are present and transplantable prior to the completion of cellularization. Since donor nuclei injected directly into host flanks, or premixed with host cytoplasm, would have been well exposed to any host cytoplasmic factors, donor nuclei appear to have adopted anterior or posterior somatic commitments which are stable to significant cytoplasmic alterations.In 14 implants, host nuclei exposed to donor material altered somatic fate and formed donor type structures. These conversions are interpreted to imply that cytoplasmic factors controlling anterior or posterior somatic fates are present in the syncytial balstoderm embryo.     

Germ-line chimera by lower-part blastoderm transplantation between diploid goldfish and triploid crucian carp

Germ-line chimerism was successfully induced by blastoderm transplantation from donor triploid crucian carp, which reproduces gynogenetically, to recipient diploid goldfish, which reproduces bisexually. Lower part of donor blastoderm including primordial germ cells (PGCs) was sandwiched between recipient blastoderm at the mid- to late-blastula stage. When donor grafts were prepared from intact embryos or ventralized ones by removing vegetal yolk hemisphere at the 1- to 2-cell stage, malformations including double axes were observed in the resultant chimeras transplanted with grafts from intact embryos at the hatching stage, while a few malformations in those from ventralized embryos. PGCs originated from donor grafts were observed around the gonadal anlage at 10 days post-fertilization in chimeras. When ploidy of erythrocytes and epidermal cells in chimeric fish was examined by flow-cytometry, no triploid cells were detected at 1- and 5-year-old chimeras. Three-year-old chimeric fish (n=5) laid eggs originated from the donor together with those from the recipient. The frequency of eggs from the donor crucian carp blastoderm varied from 3.1 to 89.3% between chimeras.     

Recovery of Fertility in Male Hybrids of a Cross between Goldfish and Common Carp by Transplantation of PGC (Primordial Germ Cell)-Containing Graft

In germ-line chimera, gametes originate from both the donor and recipient. In order to increase the proportion of gametes from the donor, the elimination or reduction of primordial germ cells (PGCs) from the recipient is required. In the present study, histological and genetic analyses were performed in the chimeric fish obtained when sterile goldfish × common carp hybrid and fertile goldfish embryos were used as a recipient and donor, respectively. Chimerism was induced by transplantation of the lower part of the goldfish blastoderm into the hybrid blastoderm at the blastula stage. Neither spermatid nor spermatozoa were observed in the testis of the male hybrid. Motile sperm were obtained from 15 chimeric males by human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) injection. When the sperm of chimeric fish were genetically analyzed, only goldfish-specific repetitive DNA sequences were detected. These results revealed that chimeric fish of the cross between a sterile male hybrid and fertile goldfish produced sperm exclusively derived from the donor goldfish.     

Production of chimeric loach by cell transplantation from genetically pigmented to orange embryos

To establish techniques for chimera formation and to obtain further knowledge of chimerism, chimeric loach were produced using the wild strain as the donor and the orange strain as the recipient by cell transplantation. Transplantation between embryos at two different stages was performed to achieve efficient chimera formation. In the combination of the early-mid-blastula as the donor and the late-blastula as the recipient, 100-150 blastomeres were injected into the blastoderm of the recipient and the rate of chimera formation was 46.2%. On the other hand, in the combination of early-mid-blastula and early-gastrula, only 30 blastomeres were injected and the rate of chimera formation was 80.0%. These results demonstrating the combination of embryonic stages may provide a key for efficient chimera formation. We also compared the number of melanophores on chimeric larvae with that on donor cells labelled with latex beads; it was found that the number of transplanted cells has a profound effect on chimerism, whereas the site of pigmentation is not always in agreement with the site of actual transplantation of donor cells.     

鸡Ⅹ期胚盘细胞体外培养

为证实经遗传修饰的鸡X期胚盘细胞具有参与受体胚胎发育和形成嵌合体的能力 ,本研究将由鸡X期胚盘制成的细胞悬液与经脂质体包埋的抗鸡传染性支气管炎病毒基因重组质粒PGS1共孵育后 ,直接显微注入同期受体胚盘 (14 0枚 ) ;或对转染后供体细胞进行G418抗性筛选后显微注入同期受体鸡胚盘 (14 0枚 ) ;或将供体细胞体外培养 4 8h ,再与脂质体 PGS1复合物共孵育后显微注入同期受体鸡胚盘 (190枚 ) ,制备转基因嵌合体鸡 ,并应用PCR和RAPD方法 ,对鸡胚和雏鸡不同组织或血液中的DNA进行检测。结果表明 :直接注射组孵化率(5 7% )显著 (P <0 0 1)高于G418筛选处理组 (1 4 % )和培养 4 8h处理组 (2 1% ) ;G418筛选处理组不同胚龄鸡胚组织、器官中外源DNA的PCR检测阳性率均高于其它二个组。实验结果证明 ,体外培养 4 8h并经遗传修饰的胚盘细胞仍然具有形成嵌合体的能力 ,利用早期胚盘细胞途径制备转基因鸡是可行的。     

Autoradiographic Analysis of Pleurodeles waltlii embryos Injected with Labelled Embryo Donor Cells

In Pleurodeles waltlii isolated embryonic cells, labelled with tritiated thymidine, were injected into a recipient embryo at the blastula stage. Three types of combinations were studied. Transplanted cells belonging to the presumptive ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm were taken when the donor embryos were at the young gastrula stage. In each experimental series, localization and distribution of labelled donor cells in the host were analyzed by autoradiographic techniques.     

Histochemical identification and behavior of quail primordial germ cells injected into chick embryos by the intravascular route.

The behavior of quail primordial germ cells (PGC) after injection into chick embryos by the intravascular route was examined. The quail (donor) PGC, taken from the bloodstream of quail embryos (recipient) at stage 13-14, were injected into the vitelline vessels of chick embryos (recipient) at stage 15. In the recipient embryos, the PGC of the quail and the chick were histochemically distinguished by a double-staining technique involving a lectin, from Wistaria floribunda (WFA) and the PAS reaction. One day after injection, quail PGC appeared in the prospective gonadal region of recipient chick embryos, being localized among the recipient chick PGC. This result indicates that a staining technique specific for WFA lectin is useful for identification of quail PGC and that quail PGC can be transferred by a vascular route for the production of germline chimeras.     

The developmental origin of primordial germ cells and the transmission of the donor-derived gametes in mixed-sex germline chimeras to the offspring in the chicken

A novel system has been developed to determine the origin and development of primordial germ cells (PGCs) in avian embryos directly. Approximately 700 cells were removed from the center of the area pellucida, the outer of the area pellucida, and the area opaca of the stage X blastoderm (Eyal-Giladi and Kochav, 1976; Dev Biol 49:321–337). When the cells were removed from the center of the area pellucida, the mean number of circulating PGCs per 1 μl of blood was significantly decreased to 13 (P < 0.05) in the embryo at stage 15 (Hamburger and Hamilton, 1951: J Morphol 88:49–92) as compared to intact embryos of 51. When the removed recipient cells from the center of the area pellucida were replenished with 500 donor cells, no reduction in the PGC number was observed. The removal of cells from the outer of area pellucida or from the area opaca had no effect on the number of PGCs. When another set of the manipulated embryos were cultured ex vivo to hatching and reared to sexual maturity, the absence of germ cells and the degeneration of seminiferous tubules were observed in resulting chickens derived from the blastoderm from which the cells were removed from the center of the area pellucida. Chimeric embryos produced by the male donor cells and the female recipient contained the female-derived cells at 97.2% in the whole embryo and 94.3% in the erythrocytes at 5 days of incubation. At 5–7 days of incubation, masculinization was observed in about one half of the mixed-sex embryos. The proportions of the female-derived cells in the whole embryo and in the erythrocytes were 76.5% and 80.2% at 7 days to 55.7% and 62.5% at 10 days of incubation, respectively. When the chimeras reached their sexual maturity, they were test mated to assess donor contribution to their germline. Five of six male chimeras (83%) and three of five female chimeras (60%) from male donor cells and a female recipient embryo from which 700 cells at the center of area pellucida were removed were germline chimeras. Three of the five male germline chimeras (60%) and one of the three female germline chimeras (33%) transmitted exclusively (100%) donor-derived gametes into the offspring. When embryonic cells were removed from the outer of area pellucida or area opaca, regardless of the sex combination of the donor and the recipient, the transmission of the donor-derived gametes was essentially null. The findings in the present studies demonstrated, both in vivo and in vitro, that the PGCs originate in the central part of the area pellucida and that the developmental fate to germ cell (PGCs) had been destined at stage X blastoderm in chickens. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 48:501–510, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Germline chimeric chickens from FACS‐sorted donor cells

Germline chimeric chickens can be constructed by injecting donor chicken blastodermal cells (CBCs) into recipient embryos and incubating to hatch. Transgenic chickens can be produced through chimeric intermediates if the donor cells are genetically manipulated; the chance of producing a transgenic chimera would be increased by enriching the donor population in transfected cells. To demonstrate that donor CBCs can be sorted according to the expression of a foreign gene, CBCs in suspension were subjected to transfection with plasmid DNA encoding bacterial β‐galactosidase (β‐gal). Following an overnight incubation, the CBCs were loaded with 5‐dodecanoylaminofluorescein di‐β‐D‐galactopyranoside (C₁₂FDG), which is fluorescent after cleavage by β‐gal. The treated cells were subjected to fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) to give “positive” (fluorescent) and “negative” (non‐fluorescent) populations. Almost 100% of the “positive” population showed β‐gal activity. “Positive” cells were cultured on mouse SNL 76/7 fibroblast feeder cells and formed colonies, most of which still stained positively for β‐gal activity after three days. FACS‐sorted cells of Barred Plymouth Rock origin were injected into recipient White Leghorn embryos, resulting in chimeric embryos. Of the 298 embryos injected with sorted cells, 23 (8%; 18 injected with “positive cells, five with “negative”) survived to rearing. Somatic chimerism was seen in 12 of 18 (67%) “positive” and three of five (60%) “negative” birds with the proportion of black pigmentation averaging 19% overall. Twenty birds reached sexual maturity, of which 12 (60%) were somatically chimeric; seven (35%) of these produced donor‐derived chicks. Donor CBCs can, therefore, be sorted by FACS according to the expression of a selectable marker gene without impairing their ability to contribute to germline chimeras; this procedure could be incorporated into a practicable method by which to increase the chances of producing a transgenic chicken. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 52:33–42, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Stable and unstable transformation by microinjection of macronucleoplasm in Paramecium.

Transformation by microinjection of macronucleoplasm in Paramecium caudatum was investigated. Macronucleoplasm with three genetic markers (behavior, trichocyst, and mating type) was injected into the macronucleus. To facilitate microinjection, in most cases, paramecia were immobilized in a gelatin (7.5%) solution. The injected cells began to express a dominant gene (cnrA+ or cnrB+) of the donor 9-24 hr after injection. Expression did not require cell division suggesting injected macronucleoplasm was capable of expressing a phenotype. The amount of injected macronucleoplasm appears to correlate with the frequency of successful expression but not to correlate with the time required for expression. After a number of fissions, the injected cells produced clones which had cells expressing the phenotype of the donor. This suggests that injected macronucleoplasm was replicated and expressed in the recipient cell lines. The transformed clones were classified into two groups. In one group, transformation was stable. All cell lines derived from the injected cells expressed a phenotype similar to the heterozygote of donor and recipient cells. In the other group, transformation was unstable. During the first five to seven fissions after injection, at each division, cells produced one daughter cell which later reverted to the recipient phenotype. After this unstable period, cells no longer produced the recipient phenotype but produced the donor phenotype exclusively. Donor and recipient phenotypes were, thus, segregated in different cell lines. Observation of genetic markers and analysis by computer simulation shed light on the mode of transmission of injected macronucleoplasm. In stable transformation, injected macronucleoplasm appears to be distributed equally to daughter cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Partial rescue of dorsal, a maternal effect mutation affecting the dorso-ventral pattern of the Drosophila embryo, by the injection of wild-type cytoplasm

Mutant alleles at the maternal effect locus dorsal cause a dorsalization of the Drosophila embryo. In extreme mutants, the embryos develop exclusively structures which derive from the dorsal-most region in normal eggs, in less strong phenotypes in addition to dorsal structures, structures normally derived from a dorso-lateral to lateral egg region are formed. Injection of cytoplasm from wild-type embryos into mutant embryos partially restores the dorso-ventral pattern in that injected embryos develop additional structures never formed in uninjected control embryos or embryos injected with mutant cytoplasm. The phenotype of injected embryos resembles that of weaker alleles at the dorsal locus indicating that the wild-type cytoplasm partially rescues the mutant phenotype. The response of the mutant embryos is restricted to the site of injection and occurs only when cytoplasm is injected into the ventral and not into the dorsal side of mutant embryos. The rescuing activity appears to be equally distributed in cleavage stage wild-type embryos, whereas, in syncytial blastoderm embryos, cytoplasm from the ventral side is about twice as effective as that taken from the dorsal side.     

The ontogeny of germ plasm during oogenesis in Drosophila

Primordial germ cells can be induced at both the anterior and ventral region of the Drosophila egg by transplanted posterior polar plasm. Two questions arise from these results: (1) Is fertilization required for germ plasm to be functional, and (2) at what stage during oogenesis does the posterior polar plasm become established as a germ-cell determinant?Polar plasm from unfertilized eggs and from oocytes at stage 10 to 14 of Drosophila melanogaster was implanted into the anterior region of cleavage embryos. Some injected embryos were analyzed at the ultrastructural level during blastoderm formation. Polar plasm from unfertilized eggs and from oocytes of stages 13 and 14 was found to be integrated into several anterior cells that resembled morphologically normal pole cells. The formation of such cells, however, could not be detected in embryos injected with polar plasm from oogenetic stages 10 to 12. Experimentally induced pole cells proved to be capable of differentiating into functional germ cells when cycled through the germ line of genetically different host embryos. About 5% of the flies developing from these embryos produced progeny that originated from the induced pole cells. Germ-line mosaicism in those flies also could be detected histochemically in their gonads. No germ cells were recovered with polar plasm transplants from oogenetic stages 10 to 12.The results show that posterior polar plasm of the unfertilized egg is functional in germ-cell determination, and that prior to egg maturation this cytoplasm has already acquired its determinative ability. This is the first demonstration that specific developmental information stored in the cytoplasm can be traced back to a particular region of the oocyte.     

Chick embryos can form teratomas from microinjected mouse embryonic stem cells

We examined whether chick embryos are a suitable experimental model for the evaluation of pluripotency of stem cells. Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) expressing the reporter gene, LacZ or GFP were injected into the subgerminal cavity of blastoderms (freshly oviposited) or the marginal vein of chick embryos (2 days of incubation). Injected mESCs were efficiently incorporated into the body and extra‐embryonic tissues of chick embryos and formed small clusters. Increased donor cell numbers injected were positively associated with the efficiency of chimera production, but with lower viability. A single mESC injected into the blastoderm proliferated into 34.7 ± 3.8 cells in 3 days, implying that the chick embryo provides an optimal environment for the growth of xenogenic cells. In the embryo body, mESCs were interspersed as small clustered chimeras in various tissues. Teratomas were observed in the yolk sac and the brain with three germ layers. In the yolk sac, clusters of mESCs gradually increased in volume and exhibited varied morphology such as a water balloon‐like or dark‐red solid mass. However, mESCs in the brain developed into a large soft tissue mass of whitish color and showed a tendency to differentiate into ectodermal lineage cells, including primitive neural ectodermal and neuronal cells expressing the neurofilament protein. These results indicate that chick embryos are useful for the teratoma formation assays of mESCs and have a broad‐range potential as an experimental host model.     

Proliferation of donor mitochondrial DNA in nuclear transfer calves (Bos taurus) derived from cumulus cells

In embryos derived by nuclear-transfer (NT), fusion of donor cell and recipient oocyte caused mitochondrial heteroplasmy. Previous studies from other laboratories have reported either elimination or maintenance of donor-derived mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from somatic cells in cloned animals. Here we examined the distribution of donor mtDNA in NT embryos and calves derived from somatic cells. Donor mitochondria were clearly observed by fluorescence labeling in the cytoplasm of NT embryos immediately after fusion; however, fluorescence diminished to undetectable levels at 24 hr after nuclear transfer. By PCR-mediated single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis, donor mtDNAs were not detected in the NT embryos immediately after fusion (less than 3-4%). In contrast, three of nine NT calves exhibited heteroplasmy with donor cell mtDNA populations ranging from 6 to 40%. These results provide the first evidence of a significant replicative advantage of donor mtDNAs to recipient mtDNAs during the course of embryogenesis in NT calves from somatic cells.     

The effects of microinjection of rhodamine-phalloidin on mitosis and cytokinesis in early stage Drosophila embryos

Rhodamine-phalloidin was microinjected into early stage Drosophila embryos, which were then allowed to develop for various times, fixed, and examined by fluorescence microscopy. A gradient of effects was seen. Close to the site of injection an area of diffuse bright fluorescence was found which included lumps and long strands of fluorescent material. Around this region particular cytoplasmic domains showed a denser F-actin distribution. These domains included the nuclear islands of the preblastoderm, the cortical caps of the syncytial blastoderm, and the contractile ring network which forms during cellularization of the blastoderm. It is proposed that these domains are regions of preferential actin polymerization under the appropriate cellular conditions and that the injected phalloidin causes incorporation of additional polymer into existing structures. Further away the pattern of phalloidin staining corresponded to that found with fixed material. In contrast to the domains of apparent additional F-actin polymerization a reduction of actin incorporated into small aggregates was found, both in syncytial blastoderm stages and during cellularization. This occurred in regions where additional actin had been incorporated into adjacent actin-rich structures. A storage role for the aggregates, which are depleted when F-actin is polymerized, is proposed. Both mitosis and cytokinesis were found to be slowed but the inhibition was only transient. However, most embryos died without differentiating. Rarely, differentiated tissues formed and the musculature was strongly stained by rh-phalloidin. When embryos were injected immediately prior to the start of cellularization cytokinesis was inhibited only locally and continued normally elsewhere. This finding argues against the hypothesis that contraction of an actomyosin network over the whole surface is the only force involved in the cellularization of the blastoderm and that local factors, e.g., plasmalemma extension, must be involved.     

Development of Loach Eggs after Experimental Increase of Cell Mass in the Dorsal and Ventral Areas of Blastoderm

The fertilized loach eggs were injected, before the beginning of cleavage, with the nuclear dye Hoechst 33258 and left to develop until the late blastula stage. Some cells of the dorsal area of stained blastoderm were transplanted in the analogous area of intact embryos of the same age, which led to an earlier and more pronounced development of head and trunk structures in recipients. A relationship was established between specific features of the development of recipients and localization of descendants of the transplanted cells. Transplantation of cells of the dorsal area of stained blastoderm in the ventral area of embryos of the same age led to the formation of two axial complexes, both at the same level of development, but behind the control, and stained cells were located predominantly in one of twin embryos.     

Production of germ-line chimeras in rainbow trout by blastomere transplantation

We describe a technique for producing germ-line chimeric rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, by microinjection of the isolated blastomeres. FITC-labeled donor cells and non-labeled recipient embryos at various developmental stages between the early blastula and early gastrula stages were used for cell transplantation. The chimera formation rate and the degree of donor cell distribution in recipient embryos were evaluated at both the late gastrula stage (5 days post fertilization (dpf)) and the 40-somite stage (10 dpf). Among the six combinations of developmental stages of donor and recipient embryos, the combination of midblastula (2.5 dpf) donor cells and early blastula (1.5 dpf) recipient embryos gave the highest chimera formation rate and the best distribution pattern of donor cells. Using this combination, chimeric rainbow trout were produced with donor blastomeres from dominant orange-colored mutant embryos and wild-type recipient embryos. Of the 238 chimeric embryos produced, 28 (12%) hatched normally and 14 of the 28 fry (50%) had donor-derived orange body color. To test for germ-line transmission of donor cells, gametes obtained from the matured chimeras were fertilized with gametes from wild-type fish. Of the 19 matured chimeras, 6 (32%) yielded donor-derived orange-colored progeny, in addition to wild-type siblings. The contribution rates of donor cells in the germ-line ranged from 0.3 to 14%. This technique for producing germ-line chimeras should be a powerful tool for cell-mediated gene transfer in rainbow trout. Especially, if body color mutants are used for either donor cells or the host embryos, it will be possible to easily concentrate F1 transgenic embryos derived from transplanted donor cells by body color screening. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 59: 380-389, 2001.