title: Comparative methylation profiles and telomerase biology of mouse multipotent adult germline stem cells and embryonic stem cells.
abstract: Recently, several groups described the isolation of mouse spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) and their potential to develop to embryonic stem cell (ESC)-like cells, so-called multipotent germline stem cells (mGSCs). We were the first to derive such mGSCs from SSCs isolated from adult mouse testis and, therefore, called these mGSCs multipotent adult germline stem cells (maGSCs). Here, we comparatively analyzed gene-specific and global DNA methylation profiles as well as the telomerase biology of several maGSC and male ESC lines. We show that undifferentiated maGSCs are very similar to undifferentiated male ESCs with regard to global DNA methylation, methylation of pluripotency marker gene loci, telomerase activity and telomere length. Imprinted gene methylation levels were generally lower in undifferentiated maGSCs than in undifferentiated male ESCs, but, compared with undifferentiated mGSCs derived by other groups, more similar to those of male ESCs. Differentiation of maGSCs increased the methylation of three of the four analyzed imprinted genes to almost somatic methylation patterns, but dramatically decreased global DNA methylation. Our findings further substantiate the pluripotency of maGSCs and their potential for regenerative medicine.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Genetics, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55101 Mainz, Germany. zechner@humgen.klinik.uni-mainz.de
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Zechner
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nolte
authors.forename: Marieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Katayoon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shirneshan
authors.forename: Nady El
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Hajj
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weise
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaltwasser
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zovoilis
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haaf
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Engel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000502:physiology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019098:Telomerase