Poultry such as chickens are valuable model animals not only in the food industry, but also in developmental biology and biomedicine. Recently, precise genome-editing technologies mediated by the CRISPR/Cas9 system have developed rapidly, enabling the production of genome-edited poultry models with novel traits that are applicable to basic sciences, agriculture, and biomedical industry. In particular, these techniques have been combined with cultured primordial germ cells (PGCs) and viral vector systems to generate a valuable genome-edited avian model for a variety of purposes. Here, we summarize recent progress in CRISPR/Cas9-based genome-editing technology and its applications to avian species. In addition, we describe further applications of genome-edited poultry in various industries.
Keywords: CRISPR/Cas9; PGCs; genome editing; poultry; viral vector systems.