Advance online publication Featured articles About the journal Journal of Reproduction and De ... Advance online publication Article overview This article has now been updated. Please use the final version . Asma KHATUN Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life and Faculty of School of Applied Biological Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life and Faculty of School of Applied Biological Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh Saori HARADA Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life and Faculty of School of Applied Biological Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life and Faculty of School of Applied Biological Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan Satoru OHIRA Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life and Faculty of School of Applied Biological Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life and Faculty of School of Applied Biological Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan Haruto TAKEUCHI Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life and Faculty of School of Applied Biological Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life and Faculty of School of Applied Biological Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan Haruto SHIRAHASE Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life and Faculty of School of Applied Biological Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life and Faculty of School of Applied Biological Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan Natsumi TAKAHASHI Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life and Faculty of School of Applied Biological Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life and Faculty of School of Applied Biological Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan Wataru FUJII Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan Research Center for Food Safety, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan Research Center for Food Safety, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan

Sota TAKAMIYA Akita Prefectural Livestock Experiment Station, Daisen 019-0701, Japan Akita Prefectural Livestock Experiment Station, Daisen 019-0701, Japan Kazuhiro RIKIMARU Akita Prefectural Livestock Experiment Station, Daisen 019-0701, Japan Akita Prefectural Livestock Experiment Station, Daisen 019-0701, Japan Masaki KATO Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life and Faculty of School of Applied Biological Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan Present: Department of Biological Production, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life and Faculty of School of Applied Biological Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan Present: Department of Biological Production, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan Yoshiaki NAKAMURA Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life and Faculty of School of Applied Biological Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan Japanese Avian Bioresource Project Research Center, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life and Faculty of School of Applied Biological Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan Japanese Avian Bioresource Project Research Center, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan Corresponding author Article ID: 2026-087 Published: 2026 Received: May 27, 2026 Available on J-STAGE: - Accepted: June 17, 2026 Advance online publication: July 10, 2026 Revised: - (compatible with EndNote, Reference Manager, ProCite, RefWorks) (compatible with BibDesk, LaTeX) The preservation of chicken genetic resources is important to both backup commercial breeds that support egg and meat production worldwide and conserve the genetic diversity of indigenous breeds, which is essential for managing breeding according to future demands. Because chicken embryos are attached to a large yolk, cryopreservation is technically impossible. In chickens, a unique developmental engineering approach based on the manipulation of primordial germ cells (PGCs), the embryonic precursor cells of gametes, has been developed. Cryobanking of PGCs is an innovative strategy for efficiently maintaining chicken genetic resources without breeding live birds. Cryomedia containing dimethyl sulfoxide or propylene glycol (PG) as permeable cryoprotectants, combined with serum as a non-permeable cryoprotectant, have been widely used for the cryopreservation of chicken PGCs. However, because the serum composition varies greatly, performance differences arise between lots. Consequently, there is a demand for serum-free cryomedia with specific known compositions. Here, we investigated the cryoprotective effects of ovalbumin and sericin, as alternatives to serum, on chicken PGCs. Two cryomedia were designed: PO comprising 7.5% PG and 5% ovalbumin and PS comprising 7.5% PG and 2% sericin. Following the culture of PGCs cryopreserved in these cryomedia, viability and cell doubling times recovered to levels comparable to those of an unfrozen control group at 6 and 2 d post-culture, respectively. When frozen-thawed PGCs were transplanted, their gonadal migration ability was significantly lower immediately after thawing, but recovered to levels comparable to those of the unfrozen control group after 4 d of culture. We successfully revived viable offspring from Hinai-dori, designated as a natural monument of Japan, from PGCs cryopreserved in these cryomedia. In conclusion, we developed two serum-free cryomedia that achieved > 60% recovery of viable PGCs after thawing while maintaining germline competency. Add to favorites Additional info alert Authentication alert The Japanese journal of animal reproduction The Japanese journal of animal reproduction Register with J-STAGE for free! Already have an account? Sign in here