title: Transmeiotic differentiation of male germ cells in culture.
abstract: A cell culture system that supports the differentiation of male germ cells through meiosis is described. It takes advantage of the properties of a cell line, 15P-1, established from testicular cells of transgenic mice that express the large T protein of polyoma virus in the seminiferous epithelium. This line exhibits features characteristics of Sertoli cells, including transcription of the Wilms' tumor (WT1) and Steel genes. Cells of the 15P-1 type support the meiotic and postmeiotic differentiation in cocultures of diploid premeiotic germ cells into haploid spermatids expressing the protamine (Prm-1) gene. When cocultured with 15P-1 cells, testicular cells explanted from immature 9-day-old animals, before the onset of the first meiosis, generated tetrads of haploid cells with the morphology of round spermatids and initiated protamine transcription.
authors.affiliation: Unité 273 de l'Institut National de la Santé, Université de Nice, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rassoulzadegan
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Paquis-Flucklinger
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bertino
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sage
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jasin
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyagawa
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: van Heyningen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Besmer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cuzin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000952:Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D016298:Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011479:Protamines / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D025721:WT1 Proteins
chemical_list: D000952:Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D016298:Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors; D011479:Protamines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D025721:WT1 Proteins