China has achieved a groundbreaking milestone in conservation science by successfully cloning two endangered cattle breeds native to the Xizang Autonomous Region. Scientists announced on Monday that four male calves of each breed, the Zhangmu cattle and the Apeijiaza cattle, were born in Yunyang County, Chongqing Municipality.
The cloning marks the world’s first successful reproduction of cattle from Xizang through cloning technology. The endangered breeds are indigenous to the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and are vital to the region’s biodiversity and agricultural heritage.
“We collected ear tissue samples from the two cattle breeds and established fibroblast cell lines in our laboratory,” explained Yu Dawei, a researcher at the Institute of Animal Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. “Using somatic cell nuclear transfer technology, we prepared cloned embryos and transplanted them into surrogate cattle. After a full-term pregnancy, we successfully obtained eight cloned calves.”
The initiative to rescue and protect these endangered breeds began in 2022, spearheaded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the National Animal Husbandry Station, and relevant local departments in Xizang. Researchers collected blood samples from the cattle, completed whole-genome resequencing, and employed technologies such as somatic cell conservation and cloning embryo restoration to preserve the genetic resources of these rare breeds.
“Our next step is to carry out cloned embryo transplantation of Zhangmu cattle and Apeijiaza cattle in Xizang,” Yu said. “We aim to integrate cloning technology with conventional breeding methods to establish a comprehensive system for the protection and utilization of genetic resources.”
This breakthrough not only represents a significant advancement in animal cloning technology but also offers a promising avenue for conserving other endangered species in the region. By preserving the genetic diversity of these cattle breeds, scientists hope to contribute to the sustainable development of agriculture on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.
