Human adult germline stem cells in question.
Conrad et al. have generated human adult germline stem cells (haGSCs) from human testicular tissue, which they claim have similar pluripotent properties to human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Here we investigate the pluripotency of haGSCs by using global gene-expression analysis based on their gene array data and comparing the expression of pluripotency marker genes in haGSCs and hESCs, and in haGSCs and human fibroblast samples derived from different laboratories, including our own. We find that haGSCs and fibroblasts have a similar gene-expression profile, but that haGSCs and hESCs do not. The pluripotency of Conrad and colleagues' haGSCs is therefore called into question.
Ko
Kinarm
K
Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster 48149, Germany.
Araúzo-Bravo
Marcos J
MJ
Tapia
Natalia
N
Kim
Julee
J
Lin
Qiong
Q
Bernemann
Christof
C
Han
Dong Wook
DW
Gentile
Luca
L
Reinhardt
Peter
P
Greber
Boris
B
Schneider
Rebekka K
RK
Kliesch
Sabine
S
Zenke
Martin
M
Schöler
Hans R
HR
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology
D015415:Biomarkers; D012333:RNA, Messenger