title: Mouse germ cell clusters form by aggregation as well as clonal divisions.
abstract: After their arrival in the fetal gonad, mammalian germ cells express E-cadherin and are found in large clusters, similar to germ cell cysts in Drosophila. In Drosophila, germ cells in cysts are connected by ring canals. Several molecular components of intercellular bridges in mammalian cells have been identified, including TEX14, a protein required for the stabilization of intercellular bridges, and several associated proteins that are components of the cytokinesis complex. This has led to the hypothesis that germ cell clusters in the mammalian gonad arise through incomplete cell divisions. We tested this hypothesis by generating chimeras between GFP-positive and GFP-negative mice. We show that germ cell clusters in the fetal gonad arise through aggregation as well as cell division. Intercellular bridges, however, are likely restricted to cells of the same genotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Lindsey
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mork
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Iordan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Batchvarov
authors.forename: Blanche
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Capel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C510086:TEX14 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins