Establishing Bovine Embryonic Stem Cells and Dissecting Their Self-Renewal Mechanisms
Bovine pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) hold significant potential for diverse applications in agriculture, reproductive biotechnology, and biomedical research. However, challenges persist in establishing stable bovine PSC lines and understanding the mechanisms underlying their pluripotency maintenance. Here, we derived bovine embryonic stem cells (bESCs) from Holstein cattle embryos. These cells exhibited robust differentiation capacity into three germ layers in vitro and in vivo. Transcriptome analysis revealed distinct molecular profiles compared to primed-state bESCs. Notably, bESC proliferation ceased on methanol-treated feeder cells, in contrast to mouse ESCs (mESCs), which proliferated normally. Pathway analysis identified key signaling events critical for bESC survival and proliferation, highlighting species-specific regulatory mechanisms. Furthermore, the derived bESCs demonstrated chimerism capacity in early bovine embryos, underscoring their functional pluripotency. This work provides a foundation for advancing bovine embryology research and stem cell-based biotechnologies in livestock.
Authors
- Tianle Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2081-7192)
- Shiyao Han
- Linxiu Yue
- Yiyu Zhao
- Young Tang
- Wenjing Wan
- Jianglin Zhao
- Xiangyan Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1202-4112)
- Heqiang Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2875-7677)
- Yue Su (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6987-3737)
- N. Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7847-3567)
- Qing Su-zhu
- Fenfen Jiang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8282-3059)
- Jinlei Guo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4594-9696)
- Su‐Yuan Xie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2370-9947)
- Zhen Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6851-5874)
- Ming Wang
- Xiaoting Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3532-8463)
- Xinfeng Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8182-9632)
- Wei Ma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5311-2266)
- Aijun Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2985-3627)
- Jun Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2321-7379)
- Anmin Lei (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5066-8709)
- Shuangyi Xiehe
Institutions
- Ningxia University (CN)
- Shaanxi University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Northwest A&F University (CN)
- Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply (BR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences
- Published
- 2025-04-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26083536
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Pluripotent Stem Cells Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.61
Funders
- National Science and Technology Major Project
- Chinese Universities Scientific Fund