Immunomagnetic purification of viable primordial germ cells of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica).

Immunomagnetic cell sorting (MACS) with the monoclonal antibody (mAb) QCR1 was compared with the Ficoll density-gradient centrifugation system (FICS) in terms of the efficiency of enrichment of quail (Coturnix japonica) primordial germ cells (PGCs) from blood. The purified PGCs were tested for their ability to settle in the chick (Gallus domesticus) embryonic gonad. Blood containing 60-100 PGCs microliter-1 was taken from the dorsal aorta of quail embryos at Hamburger and Hamilton's stages 14-16. The amount and concentration of PGCs in the PGC-rich fraction purified by MACS were greater than in the fraction purified by FICS. Purified quail PGCs were transfused into chick embryos at stages 14-16 and immunohistochemically stained with mAb QCRI on day 8 of chick development. Transfused PGCs purified by either MACS or FICS were positively stained in the chick embryonic gonads.