The 10th International Symposium on Sturgeon (ISS10)

Abstract 
The Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis), a flagship species for conservation in the Yangtze River, is critically endangered and faces imminent risk of extirpation in the wild. Biodiversity conservation is fundamentally linked to the preservation of genetic resources, and safeguarding the genetic pool of the Chinese sturgeon has emerged as a significant conservation challenge. With the advancing maturity of cloning technologies, the rescue and preservation of cellular resources have become increasingly crucial for maintaining the genetic integrity of endangered species. Over the past decade, we derived and characterized embryonic, gonadal, and fin-derived cell lines from A. sinensis and Yangtze sturgeon (A. dabryanus), and organized these lines into a dedicated germplasm resource bank. We evaluated growth kinetics, karyotypic stability, and post-thaw recovery to establish optimized cryopreservation protocols. To highlight the translational potential of these cell lines, we explored their applications in disease resistance and immunity research, as well as investigated strategies that combine cell cryopreservation with surrogate reproductive technologies. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that the long-term preservation of viable sturgeon cell resources is both feasible and can support assisted restoration strategies, including germ cell-based propagation. Our results offer a scalable framework for conserving genetic diversity in critically endangered fish species and provide a practical pathway to support future reintroduction and population augmentation efforts.