title: Differentiation of female primordial germ cells in the male testes of chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus).
abstract: In our previous studies, we demonstrated that female primordial germ cells (PGCs) have the ability to differentiate into W chromosome-bearing (W-bearing) spermatozoa in male gonads of germline chimeric chickens. In this study, to investigate the differentiation pattern of female PGCs in male gonads in chickens, three germline chimeric chickens were generated by injecting female PGCs into the male recipient embryos. After these male chimeras reached sexual maturity, the semen samples were analyzed for detecting W-bearing cells by PCR and in situ hybridization analyses. The results indicated that the female PGCs had settled and differentiated in their testes. A histological analysis of the seminiferous tubule in those chimeras demonstrated that the W-bearing spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and round spermatids accounted for 30.8%, 32.7%, and 28.4%, respectively. However, the W-bearing elongating spermatid was markedly lower (7.7%) as compared to the W-bearing round spermatid. The W-bearing spermatozoa were hardly ever observed (0.2%). We concluded that although female PGCs in male gonads are capable of passing through the first and second meiotic division in adapting themselves to a male environment, they are hardly complete spermiogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Genetic Resources Laboratory, National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science (NILGS), Ikenodai 2, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. tagami@affrc.go.jp
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tagami
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kagami
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harumi
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hanada
authors.forename: Keijiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nirasawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens; D002678:Chimera / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D005260:Female; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis; D010063:Ovum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology*