| Abstract: | This study was designed to investigate whether supplementation of 2i medium withleukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and/or forskolin would support establishment ofgermline-competent rat embryonic stem (ES) cell lines. Due to the higher likelihood ofoutgrowth rates, supplementation of forskolin with or without LIF contributed to thehigher establishment efficiency of ES cell lines in the WDB strain. Germline transmissioncompetency of the chimeric rats was not influenced by the profile of ES cell lines untiltheir establishment. When the LIF/forskolin-supplemented 2i medium was used, the ratstrain used as the blastocyst donor, such as the WI strain, was a possible factornegatively influencing the establishment efficiency of ES cell lines. Once ES cell lineswere established, all lines were found to be germline-competent by a progeny test inchimeric rats. In conclusion, both LIF and forskolin are not essential but can play abeneficial role in the establishment of “genuine” rat ES cell lines. |
