PLURIPOTENT EMBRYONIC STEM (ES) CELL LINES, IMPROVED METHODS FOR THEIR PRODUCTION, AND THEIR USE FOR GERM LINE TRANSMISSION AND FOR THE GENERATION OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED ANIMALS

摘要

The invention relates to a novel composition for maintaining and growing pluripotent and germ line competent mouse embryonic stem cells. The composition includes high glucose DMEM, non essential amino acids, glutamine, beta-mercaptoethanol and fetal bovine serum or the equivalents thereof, which is conditioned by an immortalized rabbit fibroblast cell line transduced with genomic rabbit Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF). The invention further relates to the use of the composition for producing embryonic stem cell lines and to the use of these cell lines in the production of transgenic animals.