title: Human amniotic epithelial cells maintain mouse spermatogonial stem cells in an undifferentiated state due to high leukemia inhibitor factor (LIF) expression.
abstract: Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), like other stem cells, have unique properties: prolonged proliferation, self-renewal, generation of differentiated progeny, and maintenance of developmental potential. Long-term cultivation of normal SSCs into stable cell lines, and maintaining SSCs in an undifferentiated state capable of self-renewal, is a major challenge. Here, we compare the effect of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) expression on mouse SSCs isolated from testicular tissue cultured under different conditions. We found that human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) with high LIF expression (LIF(high)) feeder cells allowed mouse SSCs to maintain a high level of AP activity when cultured long term. Expression of some important stem cell markers was higher in mouse SSCs cultured on hAECs (LIF(high)) compared to those cultured on hAECs (LIF(low)). Taken together, these results suggest that LIF expression could be a crucial component for feeder cells to maintain mouse SSCs in an undifferentiated, proliferative state capable of self-renewal.
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
authors.forename: Te
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lihe
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Zhixue
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Weiwei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000650:Amnion / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering