Use of somatic cell banks in the conservation of wild felids.

The conservation of biological resources is an interesting strategy for the maintenance of biodiversity, especially for wild felids who are constantly threatened with extinction. For this purpose, cryopreservation techniques have been used for the long-term storage of gametes, embryos, gonadal tissues, and somatic cells and tissues. The establishment of these banks has been suggested as a practical approach to the preservation of species and, when done in tandem with assisted reproductive techniques, could provide the means for reproducing endangered species. Somatic cell banks have been shown remarkable for the conservation of genetic material of felids; by merely obtaining skin samples, it is possible to sample a large group of individuals without being limited by factors such as gender or age. Thus, techniques for somatic tissue recovery, cryopreservation, and in vitro culture of different wild felids have been developed, resulting in a viable method for the conservation of species. One of the most notable conservation programs for wild felines using somatic samples was the one carried out for the Iberian lynx, the most endangered feline in the world. Other wild felids have also been studied in other continents, such as the jaguar in South America. This review aims to present the technical progress achieved in the conservation of somatic cells and tissues in different wild felids, as well address the progress that has been achieved in a few species.