One alternative to germ cells cryopreservation: cryobanking of somatic cells in Sturgeon
Résumé
Cryobanking of somatic cells is one option for preserving both parental genomes when gametes are not available or are unsuitable for cryopreservation. Somatic cells can be obtained from skin or fin biopsies, which are easy to collect long before sexual maturation is reached. This chapter develops a strategy to be considered for cryobanking of Acipenser sturio somatic cells, with the example of fin as a cell reservoir. The collected fins should be appropriately stored to allow shipping to laboratory facilities where they will be either frozen as a whole, or cultured to grow out cells which will be cryopreserved thereafter. Fish reconstruction from somatic cells will require the use of nuclear transfer technology, where the nucleus of the cryopreserved cell is transferred into the enucleated oocyte of a closely related species. The promises and drawbacks of this reconstruction technology are developed.