AI Article Synopsis
- The study explores how to create and grow spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) by using embryonic testicular cells as a supportive environment.
- It finds that germline stem cell-like cells (GSCLCs) derived from PSCs can expand and show some potential to contribute to sperm production, although less efficiently than natural germline stem cells.
- Whole-genome analysis indicates that GSCLCs have abnormal methylation patterns that could limit their ability to function effectively in spermatogenesis, emphasizing the importance of proper epigenomic regulation in stem cell development.
Article Abstract
The in vitro derivation and propagation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) is a key goal in reproductive science. We show here that when aggregated with embryonic testicular somatic cells (reconstituted testes), primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs) induced from mouse embryonic stem cells differentiate into spermatogonia-like cells in vitro and are expandable as cells that resemble germline stem cells (GSCs), a primary cell line with SSC activity. Remarkably, GSC-like cells (GSCLCs), but not PGCLCs, colonize adult testes and, albeit less effectively than GSCs, contribute to spermatogenesis and fertile offspring. Whole-genome analyses reveal that GSCLCs exhibit aberrant methylation at vulnerable regulatory elements, including those critical for spermatogenesis, which may restrain their spermatogenic potential. Our study establishes a strategy for the in vitro derivation of SSC activity from PSCs, which, we propose, relies on faithful epigenomic regulation.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2016.11.026 | DOI Listing |
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