002. REGULATION OF PLURIPOTENCY AND CELL CYCLE IN FETAL GERM CELLS

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 2
Author(s):  
P. Western ◽  
J. Van Den Bergen ◽  
D. Miles ◽  
R. Ralli ◽  
A. Sinclair

The germ cell lineage is unique in that it must ensure that the genome retains the complete developmental potential (totipotency) that supports development in the following generation. This is achieved through a number of mechanisms that prevent the early germ cell lineage from somatic differentiation and promote the capactity for functional totipotency. Part of this process involves the retained germ line expression of key genes that regulate pluripotency in embryonic stem cells, embryonic germ cells and some embryonal carcinoma cells, the stem cells of testicular tumours. Despite this, germ cells are not intrinsically pluripotent and must differentiate along the male or female pathways, a process which requires commitment of the bi-potential primordial germ cells to the spermatogenic (male) pathway and their entry into mitotic arrest, or to the oogenic pathway (females) and entry into meiosis. This involves robust regulation of regulatory networks controlling pluripotency, cell cycle and sex specific differentiation. Our work aims to further understand the mechanisms controlling differentiation, pluripotency and cell cycle in early male and female germ cells. Our data shows that mitotic arrest of male germ cells involves strict regulation of the G1-S phase check-point through the retinoblastoma protein. In addition, suppression of pluripotency in differentiating male germ cells involves post-transcriptional regulation of OCT4, transcriptional regulation of Sox2 and Nanog and methylation of the Sox2 and Nanog promoters. Further understanding of these processes promises to lead to a greater understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying control of pluripotency, cell cycle and differentiation in the germ line and the initiation of germ cell derived testis tumours.

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 220
Author(s):  
J. M. Yoo ◽  
J. J. Park ◽  
K. Gobianand ◽  
J. Y. Ji ◽  
J. S. Kim ◽  
...  

Bone marrow (BM)-derived stem cells are capable of transdifferentiation into multilineage cells like muscle, bone, cartilage, fat and nerve cells. In this study, we investigated the capability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) derived from BM into germ cell differentiation in the chicken. Chicken MSCs were isolated from BM of day 20 fertilized fetal chicken with Ficoll-Paque Plus. Isolated cells were cultured in advance-DMEM (ADMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and antibiotics. Once confluent, cells were subcultured until five passages. The cultured cells showed fibroblast-like morphology. The cells had positive expressions of Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog. Two induction methods were conducted to examine the ability of transdifferentation into male germ cells. In group 1, MSC were cultured in ADMEM containing retinoic acid and chicken testicular extracts proteins for 10 to 15 days. In group 2, MSC were permeabilized by streptolysin O and treated with chicken testicular protein extracts. In both treatment groups, MSC were cultured in ADMEM containing retinoic acid for 10 to 15 days. We found that chicken MSC had a positive expression of pluripotent proteins such as Oct4, Sox2, Nanog and a small population of chicken MSC seem to transdifferentiate into male germ cell-like cells. These cells expressed early germ cell markers and male germ-cell-specific markers (Dazl, C-kit, Stra8 and DDX4) as analysed by reverse transcription-PCR and immunohistochemistry. These results demonstrated that chicken MSC may differentiate into male germ cells and the same might be used as a potential source of cells for production of transgenic chickens. This study was carried out with the support of Agenda Program (Project No. PJ0064692011), RDA and Republic of Korea.


2012 ◽  
Vol 150 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 137-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ghasemzadeh-Hasankolai ◽  
Roozali Batavani ◽  
Mohamadreza Baghaban Eslaminejad ◽  
Mohammadali Sedighi-Gilani

2003 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 323 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Pei-Cheng Lin ◽  
Ming-Yu Chang ◽  
Bo-Yie Chen ◽  
Han-Hsin Chang

Research using stem cells has several applications in basic biology and clinical medicine. Recent advances in the establishment of male germ line stem cells provided researchers with the ability to identify, isolate, maintain, expand and differentiate the spermatogonia, the primitive male germ cells, as cell lines under in vitro conditions. The ability to culture and manipulate stem cell lines from male germ cells has gradually facilitated research into spermatogenesis and male infertility, to an extent beyond that facilitated by the use of somatic stem cells. After the introduction of exogenous genes, the spermatogonial cells can be transplanted into the seminiferous tubules of recipients, where the transplanted cells can contribute to the offspring. The present review concentrates on the origin, life cycle and establishment of stem cell lines from male germ cells, as well as the current status of transplantation techniques and the application of spermatogonial stem cell lines.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryuki Shimada ◽  
Hiroko Koike ◽  
Takamasa Hirano ◽  
Yumiko Saga

AbstractDuring murine germ cell development, male germ cells enter the mitotically arrested G0 stage, which is an initial step of sexually dimorphic differentiation. The male specific RNA-binding protein NANOS2 has a key role in suppressing the cell cycle in germ cells. However, the detailed mechanism of how NANOS2 regulates the cell cycle remains unclear. Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we extracted the cell cycle state of each germ cell in wild-type and Nanos2-KO testes, and revealed that Nanos2 expression starts in mitotic cells and induces mitotic arrest. We also found that NANOS2 and p38 MAPK work in parallel to regulate the cell cycle, suggesting that several different cascades are involved in the induction of cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, we identified Rheb, a regulator of mTORC1, and Ptma as possible targets of NANOS2. We propose that the repression of the cell cycle is a primary function of NANOS2 and that it is mediated via the suppression of mTORC1 activity by repressing Rheb in a post-transcriptional manner.


2007 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 117727190700200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deshira Saiti ◽  
Orly Lacham-Kaplan

In mammalian development, primordial germ cells (PGCs) represent the initial population of cells that are committed to the germ cell lineage. PGCs segregate early in development, triggered by signals from the extra-embryonic ectoderm. They are distinguished from surrounding cells by their unique gene expression patterns. Some of the more common genes used to identify them are Blimp1, Oct3/4, Fragilis, Stella, c-Kit, Mvh, Dazl and Gcna1. These genes are involved in regulating their migration and differentiation, and in maintaining the pluripotency of these cells. Recent research has demonstrated the possibility of obtaining PGCs, and subsequently, mature germ cells from a starting population of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in culture. This phenomenon has been investigated using a variety of methods, and ESC lines of both mouse and human origin. Embryonic stem cells can differentiate into germ cells of both the male and female phenotype and in one case has resulted in the birth of live pups from the fertilization of oocytes with ESC derived sperm. This finding leads to the prospect of using ESC derived germ cells as a treatment for sterility. This review outlines the evolvement of germ cells from ESCs in vitro in relation to in vivo events.


2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 264 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Sommer ◽  
L. Jackson ◽  
S. Simpson ◽  
E. B. Collins ◽  
J. Piedrahita ◽  
...  

Stimulated by retinoic acid 8 (STRA8) is a protein that is required for meiotic initiation in both male and female gametes in vertebrates. It is also expressed in embryonic germ cells and neonatal male germ cells of mice. The utility of using the Stra8 promoter to recognise and isolate pre-meiotic male germ cells has been reported by others in the mouse. In order to mark germ cells in male pigs, we cloned 1.6 kb of the mouse Stra8 promoter and used it to develop a reporter plasmid using mitochondrial-localised enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (mEYFP). The Stra8-mEYFP transgenic male pigs were produced using somatic cell nuclear transfer. The mEYFP reporter was expressed and easily detectable in the live germ cells of the mature animals and could be observed during tissue culture. The mitochondrial-localised expression of the EYFP reporter was helpful in observing the size and stage of the germ cell. The mEYPF protein was found to be expressed only in the testis of the transgenic pigs using Western blot analysis, whereas endogenous STRA8 protein was also detected in the lung and brain. Fluorescent immunohistochemistry of testicular sections of the transgenic pigs indicated a similar expression pattern to that of the endogenous STRA8 protein. There was an overlap in the expression of the mEYFP and the endogenous STRA8 protein; however, it was observed that the mEYFP protein was present at an earlier stage of spermatogenesis than the STRA8 protein. Immunocytochemistry performed on plated tubules similarly showed varying intensity in expression between the mEYFP transgene and the endogenous STRA8. The difference in the timing of protein expression may be due to the model created or the use of the mouse Stra8 promoter for the expression of mEYFP. Alternatively, the lag in expression between that of the endogenous STRA8 and mEYFP protein may be due to attenuated translation of the Stra8 mRNA. This transgenic model should be useful for the study of reproduction, development, transplantation, biotechnology, and culture of the pig male germ line. Supported by North Carolina Agricultural Research Service 02234.


Development ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 121 (9) ◽  
pp. 2937-2947 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. McKearin ◽  
B. Ohlstein

Cell differentiation commonly dictates a change in the cell cycle of mitotic daughters. Previous investigations have suggested that the Drosophila bag of marbles (bam) gene is required for the differentiation of germline stem cell daughters (cystoblasts) from the mother stem cells, perhaps by altering the cell cycle. In this paper, we report the preparation of antibodies to the Bam protein and the use of those reagents to investigate how Bam is required for germ cell development. We find that Bam exists as both a fusome component and as cytoplasmic protein and that cytoplasmic and fusome Bam might have separable activities. We also show that bam mutant germ cells are blocked in differentiation and are trapped as mitotically active cells like stem cells. A model for how Bam might regulate cystocyte differentiation is presented.


Development ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 126 (9) ◽  
pp. 1823-1832 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Kato ◽  
W.M. Rideout ◽  
K. Hilton ◽  
S.C. Barton ◽  
Y. Tsunoda ◽  
...  

There are distinctive and characteristic genomic modifications in primordial germ cells that distinguish the germ cell lineage from somatic cells. These modifications include, genome-wide demethylation, erasure of allele-specific methylation associated with imprinted genes, and the re-activation of the X chromosome. The allele-specific differential methylation is involved in regulating the monoallelic expression, and thus the gene dosage, of imprinted genes, which underlies functional differences between parental genomes. However, when the imprints are erased in the germ line, the parental genomes acquire an equivalent epigenetic and functional state. Therefore, one of the reasons why primordial germ cells are unique is because this is the only time in mammals when the distinction between parental genomes ceases to exist. To test how the potentially imprint-free primordial germ cell nuclei affect embryonic development, we transplanted them into enucleated oocytes. Here we show that the reconstituted oocyte developed to day 9.5 of gestation, consistently as a small embryo and a characteristic abnormal placenta. The embryo proper also did not progress much further even when the inner cell mass was ‘rescued’ from the abnormal placenta by transfer into a tetraploid host blastocyst. We found that development of the experimental conceptus was affected, at least in part, by a lack of gametic imprints, as judged by DNA methylation and expression analysis of several imprinted genes. The evidence suggests that gametic imprints are essential for normal development, and that they can neither be initiated nor erased in mature oocytes; these properties are unique to the developing germ line.


Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 367 (6479) ◽  
pp. 757-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Q. DuBuc ◽  
Christine E. Schnitzler ◽  
Eleni Chrysostomou ◽  
Emma T. McMahon ◽  
Febrimarsa ◽  
...  

Clonal animals do not sequester a germ line during embryogenesis. Instead, they have adult stem cells that contribute to somatic tissues or gametes. How germ fate is induced in these animals, and whether this process is related to bilaterian embryonic germline induction, is unknown. We show that transcription factor AP2 (Tfap2), a regulator of mammalian germ lines, acts to commit adult stem cells, known as i-cells, to the germ cell fate in the clonal cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus. Tfap2 mutants lacked germ cells and gonads. Transplanted wild-type cells rescued gonad development but not germ cell induction in Tfap2 mutants. Forced expression of Tfap2 in i-cells converted them to germ cells. Therefore, Tfap2 is a regulator of germ cell commitment across germ line–sequestering and germ line–nonsequestering animals.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1469
Author(s):  
Changhua Sun ◽  
Kai Jin ◽  
Qisheng Zuo ◽  
Hongyan Sun ◽  
Jiuzhou Song ◽  
...  

Alternative splicing (AS) is a ubiquitous, co-transcriptional, and post-transcriptional regulation mechanism during certain developmental processes, such as germ cell differentiation. A thorough understanding of germ cell differentiation will help us to open new avenues for avian reproduction, stem cell biology, and advances in medicines for human consumption. Here, based on single-cell RNA-seq, we characterized genome-wide AS events in manifold chicken male germ cells: embryonic stem cells (ESCs), gonad primordial germ cells (gPGCs), and spermatogonia stem cells (SSCs). A total of 38,494 AS events from 15,338 genes were detected in ESCs, with a total of 48,955 events from 14,783 genes and 49,900 events from 15,089 genes observed in gPGCs and SSCs, respectively. Moreover, this distribution of AS events suggests the diverse splicing feature of ESCs, gPGCs, and SSCs. Finally, several crucial stage-specific genes, such as NANOG, POU5F3, LIN28B, BMP4, STRA8, and LHX9, were identified in AS events that were transmitted in ESCs, gPGCs, and SSCs. The gene expression results of the RNA-seq data were validated by qRT-PCR. In summary, we provided a comprehensive atlas of the genome-wide scale of the AS event landscape in male chicken germ-line cells and presented its distribution for the first time. This research may someday improve treatment options for men suffering from male infertility.


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