Is there hope for the endangered snow leopard?
Credit: iStockPhoto
SYDNEY: Embryonic stem-like cells have been produced from the tissue of an adult snow leopard for the first time as part of a study that could save the endangered species from extinction.
Using snow leopard tissue samples, researchers from Monash University in Melbourne, Victoria have generated induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, a type of cell that shares many of the useful properties of embryonic stem cells. This has never been done using the tissue of a cat species before and the team hopes it will allow for the cryopreservation, or banking, of genetic material for future cloning and other assisted reproduction techniques.
"By generating these stem cells, we've taken the first step in creating reproductive cells from adult tissues of an endangered animal. In the future, we aim to harness the potential of the iPS cells and create offspring. This would help save species from extinction," said Paul Verma from the Monash Institute of Medical Research (MIMR), who supervised the PhD project.
Conserving the snow leopard
The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a large cat species native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia. Their high-altitude habitat - about 3,000 and 5,500 m above sea level - and shy nature make accurate population counts difficult, but it is estimated that between 3,500 and 7,000 snow leopards exist in the wild, with numbers on the decline.
According to the researchers, endangered cat species are often difficult to breed in both captivity and under natural conditions, and decreased genetic diversity due to the geographic isolation of wild individuals is a concern. Alternative reproductive methods are being increasingly sought for endangered animals with hopes that researchers can increase the birth rate of the remaining population whilst maintaining genetic diversity.
As part of the study, published in the current issue of Theriogenology, PhD student Rajneesh Verma from MIMR used ear tissue samples taken from adult snow leopards at Mogo Zoo in NSW to generate the iPS cells from fibroblasts - cells that synthesise the structural framework for animal tissues.
"The power of stem cells is that they can differentiate into all the cell types in the body," said Verma. "This means they have the potential to become gametes. In fact, mouse iPS cells have given rise to entire off-spring, so the possibilities are enormous."
Working towards cryopreservation
Verma said the breakthrough was significant due to the difficulty of obtaining reproductive cells, or gametes, even from animals in captivity.
"There is a lot of interest in cryopreservation of tissue from endangered species, but for this to be useful for conservation, both sperm and an egg are required," he said.
"I'm really following my passion in applying my expertise in stem cells to help save these animals. I am applying the same techniques to other members of cat family, including the Bengal tiger, the jaguar and the serval."
With Monash University
