title: Derivation and morphological characterization of mouse spermatogonial stem cell lines.
abstract: Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), having yet to possess decisive markers, can only be detected retrospectively by transplantation assay. It was reported recently that mouse gonocytes collected from DBA/2 and ICR neonates propagated in vitro. This cultured germ cell, named the germline stem cell (GS cell), produced functional sperm to make progeny when transplanted into recipient mouse testes. Here we show that GS cell lines can be established not only from neonatal testes but also from the testis of adult mice. We also confirmed that GS cells once transplanted into a host testis can be recovered to resume in vitro expansion, indicating that they are convertible mutually with SSCs in adult testes. Confocal laser microscopic examination showed GS cells resemble undifferentiated spermatogonia in the adult testis. This unique cell line could be useful for research in germ cell biology and applicable as a new tool for the genetic engineering of animals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan. ogawa@med.yokohama-cu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohmura
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohbo
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suda
authors.forename: Yoshinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kubota
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002460:Cell Line; D019070:Cell Lineage; D017690:Cell Transplantation; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005260:Female; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000166:cytology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins