Title:
Recent advances in reconstitution of mouse germ cell lineage in culture

 

Katsuhiko Hayashi
Department of Developmental Stem Cell Biology, Kyushu University

 

Abstract:
The germ cell lineage ensures the creation of new individuals, thereby perpetuating the genomic and epigenetic information across the generations. During germ cell development, biologically significant events such as meiosis and gametogenesis are tightly controlled and disorder of the events causes infertility and developmental arrest of the next generation. Reconstitution of germ cell development in culture using pluripotent stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) would provide a useful platform for understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying germ cell development. More practically, artificial gametes from ESCs/iPSCs can be an indefinite source for reproduction and preservation of animals, perhaps including human. We recently established a culture system that induces functional mouse primordial germ cells (PGCs), origin of eggs and sperm, from ESCs/iPSCs. PGCs produced from ESCs/iPSCs are fully potent, since they differentiated into eggs and sperm by transplantation into ovary and testis, respectively, which in turn gave rise to healthy individuals. There are, however, many issues to be overcome toward the robust generation of mature gametes or for application of the culture system to other species. In this meeting, I will discuss recent advances in the development of in vitro gametogenesis and introduce some experiments that are about to address a fundamental question of mammalian oogenesis.

 

References:
1. Hayashi K and Saitou M. Generation of eggs from mouse embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. Nature Protoc. 2013; 8: 1513-1524.

2. Hayashi K, Ogushi S, Kurimoto K, Shimamoto S, Ohta H, Saitou M. Offspring from Oocytes Derived from in Vitro Primordial Germ Cell-Like Cells in Mice. Science. 2012; 338: 971-975.

3. Hayashi K, Ohta H, Kurimoto K, Aramaki S, Saitou M. Reconstitution of the mouse germ cell specification pathway in culture by pluripotent stem cells. Cell. 2011; 146: 519-532.