Transmeiotic differentiation of male germ cells in culture.
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.
Rassoulzadegan
M
M
Unité 273 de l'Institut National de la Santé, Université de Nice, France.
Paquis-Flucklinger
V
V
Bertino
B
B
Sage
J
J
Jasin
M
M
Miyagawa
K
K
van Heyningen
V
V
Besmer
P
P
Cuzin
F
F
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
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