title: Male germ cell specification and differentiation.
abstract: Understanding the mechanisms by which the germline is induced and maintained should lead to a broader understanding of the means by which pluripotency is acquired and maintained. In this review, two major aspects of male germ cell development are discussed: underlying mechanisms for induction and maintenance of primordial germ cells and the basic signaling pathways that determine spermatogonial cell fate.
authors.affiliation: Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
authors.forename: Guang Quan
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Garbers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D002470:Cell Survival; D004330:Drosophila; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000166:cytology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins