ESCs cannot be used in transgenic animal cloning research. In addition, SCNT using pools of stable transfected cell clones is an efficient means of producing transgenic goats with appropriate expression patterns and has facilitated the generation of goat models with inducible transgene expression. Among the various parameters influencing the outcome of SCNT, including oocyte quality, embryo culture and recipient animal preparation, the type and quality of the nuclear donor cells are of vital importance. Many primary cell lines established after passaging a primary culture have been used for SCNT in pigs, differing with respect to cell type, source organ, and the age and gender of the donor animal. Among these lines, mesenchymal stem cells have been precisely characterized. These cells have been tested for their efficiency in SCNT experiments in pigs, but further characterization of, for example, the specific cell types and their morphology, proliferation and lifespan is mostly lacking. The efficiency of genetic modification of cells also depends on the effective introduction of DNA vectors into the cells. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells and skeletal muscle-derived satellite cells are both derived from the mesoderm of adult pluripotent stem cells, though their pluripotency is less than that of ESCs, they have a high degree of proliferation, self-renewal and differentiation potential. Under different induction conditions, ADSCs and MDSCs can differentiate into bone, cartilage, muscle, tendon or fat mesodermal cells, and can also differentiate into nerve cells and hepatic oval cells. Here, we characterize for the first time goat MDSCs isolated and cultured in vitro in terms of their proliferation capacity, morphologic appearance and uptake of exogenous DNA after transfection. The method for the in vitro separation and culture of Arbas cashmere goat ADSCs has been previously published. The present study aimed to establish a nuclear transfer technology system for Arbas cashmere goats and to investigate the use of gADSCs and gMDSCs as cell sources for SCNT compared with goat fetal fibroblast cells, including their proliferation capacity, pluripotency, Cycloheximide in vivo transfection efficiency and capacity to support full term development of SCNT embryos after additive gene transfer or homologous recombination. The study’s aim of using ADSCs and MDSCs for SCNT mediated transgenesis in Arbas cashmere goats was LDK378 1032900-25-6 achieved. At present, fibroblasts are predominantly used as the nuclear donor cells in cashmere goat transgenic cloning, but these cells have the significant disadvantages of limited number of passages and low survival rate after transfection, and have become a bottleneck in the breeding of new transgenic varieties. Comprehensive analysis of well-defined cell lines is beneficial for the selection of appropriate cell types for use in advanced transgenic strategies to improve the production efficiency of large animal models using primary cells. The gADSCs and gMDSCs generated in this study proliferated rapidly in vitro and exhibited common properties of stem cells. Furthermore, no marked signs of aging or abnormal apoptosis were detected in gADSCs or gMDSCs after the 65th passage in vitro, whereas abnormal karyotypes and marked signs of aging were apparent in gFFCs after the 15th passage in vitro.