Transcriptomic and Epigenetic Preservation of Genetic Sex Identity in Estrogen-feminized Male Chicken Embryonic Gonads.

Whereas in ovo exposure of genetically male (ZZ) chicken embryos to exogenous estrogens temporarily feminizes gonads at the time of hatching, the morphologically ovarian ZZ-gonads (FemZZs for feminized ZZ gonads) are masculinized back to testes within 1 year. To identify the feminization-resistant "memory" of genetic male sex, FemZZs showing varying degrees of feminization were subjected to transcriptomic, DNA methylome, and immunofluorescence analyses. Protein-coding genes were classified based on their relative mRNA expression across normal ZZ-testes, genetically female (ZW) ovaries, and FemZZs.

Production and Analysis of Human Primordial Germ Cell-Like Cells.

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are common ancestors of all germline cells. In mammals, PGCs emerge in early-stage embryos around the timing of gastrulation at or near epiblast, and specification of PGCs from their precursor cells involves multiple growth factors secreted by adjacent cells. Recent advancements in germline stem cell biology have made it possible to generate PGC-like cell culture models (PGCLCs for PGC-like cells) from human and mouse pluripotent stem cells by mimicking the embryonic growth factor environment in vitro.

Generation of Human Primordial Germ Cell-like Cells at the Surface of Embryoid Bodies from Primed-pluripotency Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are common precursors of all germline cells. In mouse embryos, a founding population of ~40 PGCs are induced from pluripotent epiblast cells by orchestrated exposures to cytokines, including bone morphogenetic protein 4 (Bmp4). In human embryos, the earliest PGCs have been identified on the endodermal wall of yolk sac around the end of the 3 week of gestation, but little is known about the process of human PGC specification and their early development.

Relevance of iPSC-derived human PGC-like cells at the surface of embryoid bodies to prechemotaxis migrating PGCs.

Pluripotent stem cell-derived human primordial germ cell-like cells (hPGCLCs) provide important opportunities to study primordial germ cells (PGCs). We robustly produced CD38 hPGCLCs [∼43% of FACS-sorted embryoid body (EB) cells] from primed-state induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) after a 72-hour transient incubation in the four chemical inhibitors (4i)-naïve reprogramming medium and showed transcriptional consistency of our hPGCLCs with hPGCLCs generated in previous studies using various and distinct protocols. Both CD38 hPGCLCs and CD38 EB cells significantly expressed and , although PRDM1 mRNA in CD38 cells lacked the 3'-UTR harboring miRNA binding sites regulating mRNA stability.