Assessment of yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) as a surrogate host for the production of southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) seed via spermatogonial germ cell transplantation

Ido Bar, Andre Smith, Erin Bubner, Goro Yoshizaki, Yutaka Takeuchi, Ryosuke Yazawa, Ben Nan Chen, Scott Cummins, Abigail Elizur

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    21 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Germ cell transplantation is an innovative technology for the production of interspecies surrogates, capable of facilitating easier and more economical management of large-bodied broodstock, such as the bluefin tuna. The present study explored the suitability of yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) as a surrogate host for transplanted southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) spermatogonial cells to produce tuna donor-derived gametes upon sexual maturity. Germ cell populations in testes of donor T. maccoyii males were described using basic histology and the molecular markers vasa and dead-end genes. The peripheral area of the testis was found to contain the highest proportions of dead-end-expressing transplantable Type A spermatogonia. T. maccoyii Type A spermatogonia-enriched preparations were transplanted into the coelomic cavity of 6-10-day-old post-hatch S. lalandi larvae. Fluorescence microscopy and polymerase chain reaction analysis detected the presence of tuna cells in the gonads of the transplanted kingfish fingerlings at 18, 28, 39 and 75 days after transplantation, indicating that the transplanted cells migrated to the genital ridge and had colonised the developing gonad. T. maccoyii germ cell-derived DNA or RNA was not detected at later stages, suggesting that the donor cells were not maintained in the hosts' gonads.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)2051-2064
    Number of pages14
    JournalReproduction Fertility and Development
    Volume28
    Issue number12
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 21 Jul 2016

    Keywords

    • aquaculture
    • dead-end
    • gonad development
    • spermatogenesis
    • vasa

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