Resources

The NARF has gene editing facilities for the chicken, a variety of reporter lines and a natural mutation line.

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Fertile eggs and chicks are available for research use upon request, with a requirement for a material transfer agreement for some lines to meet our restrictions relating to animal experiments or the source of the lines.

Resources for gene editing

Genetically altered linesDescriptionFacilityAvailability

iCaspase9 surrogate hosts

 

Further information

The iCaspase9 line can be used to create new genetically altered poultry lines. 

In the iCaspase9 surrogate host line, both male and female germ cell lineages can be chemically ablated.

Sire Dam Surrogate mating results in 100% transmission of introduced primordial germ cells in the first generation of offspring.

Conventional

and SPF

Available                                

Reporter lines

Genetically altered lines DescriptionFacilityAvailability

ACTN (actin and nuclear markers)

Further information  

 

Reporter line. Life-actin-Venus, Histone H2B-cherry. Ubiquitous expression of life-actin-VenusFP and nuclear-cherryFP   ConventionalAvailable

Roslin Green

(Cytoplasmic GFP)      

Further information                                                      

Reporter line. Cells from GFP chickens ubiquitously express cytoplasmic eGFP, allowing descendants to be traced after grafting or in cell culture.

 

ConventionalAvailable

Membrane GFP

Further information

Reporter line. Membrane-localised eGFP.

Useful for identifying individual cell boundaries when imaging.

 

ConventionalAvailable

Flamingo (TdTomato)

Further information

 

Reporter line. Cells from this line ubiquitously express cytoplasmic tdTomato, allowing descendants to be traced after grafting or in cell culture.ConventionalAvailable

Chameleon (Cytbow)

Further information

Reporter line. Cre-inducible mini-Brainbow.

Ubiquitous expression of nuclear-blueFP, replaced after CRE-mediated recombination by expression of eYFP or tdTomato or mCerulean.

 

Conventional

Available

Limited supply

CSF1R reporter lines

Further information

 

Macrophage reporter lines – CSF1R-eGFP (MacGreen) and CSF1R-mApple (MacRed).

We have demonstrated utility for investigation of immune response in chickens.

Used to visualise cells of the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS; monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells).

 

Conventional

Available

Limited supply of CSF1R-mApple

RUNX1-eGFP

Further Information

The RUNX1-eGFP line can be used to visualise granulocytes (Basophils, Eosinophils and Heterophils) and monocytes.

 

 

ConventionalAvailable

Split GFP

Further Information

In the Split GFP line the large subunit of GFP (GFP1-10) only fluoresces when the complementary small subunit of GFP-11 is delivered to a cell. 

This line is useful for studying infection processes and understanding the development and function of neuromuscular junctions in birds.

 

ConventionalAvailable

 

Cryopreserved Lines

Genetically altered linesDescriptionAvailability

Lox-STOP-lox

Further information

 

Reporter line. Inducible expression of eGFP by CRE-mediated recombination, either by CRE protein application or injection of a CRE-expressing plasmid.

This allows cells or specific cell populations to be marked and tracked during embryonic development.

Only available as

cryopreserved materials

Notch reporter

Further information

Reporter line used for real-time visualisation of Notch signalling. 

Only available as

cryopreserved materials

talpid     

Further information         

Talpid mutants are classical recessive embryonic lethal chicken mutants with abnormal limb patterning and malformations.                                                                                                               

Only available as

cryopreserved materials

DDX4 KO                                

Sterile female surrogate host                            

Further information   

This genetically sterile female surrogate host chicken is used for the creation of new genetically altered poultry lines.

Sterile female host birds can transmit transplanted donor primordial germ cells to 100% of their offspring.

Only available as

cryopreserved materials

Please let us know if you want further information on any of these lines or are interested in a collaboration based on our expertise

Help us to better understand how you are using eggs, chickens, and our facilities. We welcome feedback from collaborators and new users and use it to guide our research and development of new chicken lines.

 

 Further information

NARF website