IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| L‚on-Quinto, T.; Sim¢n, M.A.; Cadenas, R.; Jones, J.; Ruiz, V.; Moreno, J.M.; Soria, B. | |
| An Iberian lynx Biological Resource Bank and its applications to the _in situ _and_ ex situ_ conservation of the species | |
| 2009 Book Chapter | |
The Iberian Lynx Biological Resource Bank (BRB), co-managed by the Environmental Council of Andalusia and the Miguel Hern ndez University, was created as a complementary supporting tool for endangered species conservation, including the Iberian lynx. The main goals of this BRB were: to avoid the irreversible biodiversity loss from each dead individual, to count with a high representation the population's diversity and to preserve biomaterials representing an interface between the _in situ _and_ ex situ_ conservation strategies. To provide future reproductive opportunities through any possible technique, we processed and cryopreserved germinal cells and tissues as well as somatic cells and tissues obtained from dead and live animals. In order to study the best gamete and gonad cryopreservation procedures we considered a nonthreatened, phylogenetically related species as a model, the domestic cat. By using gonads from domestic cats we carried out different studies and extrapolated the best results for the Iberian lynx. Somatic cells were considered to allow for any bio-sanitary studies that can help preserve the species within their habitat, and also to provide future reproductive opportunities by means of modern biotechnology techniques such as nuclear transfer, if considered pertinent in the future and after proper research. In order to try to improve the efficiency of the nuclear transfer technique we introduced a pioneering approach, the search for stem cells, independently of their differentiation potential: uni, multi or pluripotential as all types of stem cells have greater plasticity than somatic cells and this feature can be useful for the nuclear re-programming that must take place. Samples of whole blood and its derivatives, pulled hairs, urine and feces from many individuals were also preserved. Proper storage of such samples is required to allow epidemiological studies to be performed when necessary for the testing of different hypotheses or, in general, to develop any study focused on improving lynx conservation. Complete BRBs should be seriously considered as a means of supporting _in situ _and_ ex situ _conservation strategies for endangered species. In this sense, the present Iberian Lynx's BRB could be a useful model for the development of similar banks for other threatened species. |
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