title: Spontaneous germline potential of human hepatic cell line in vitro.
abstract: The germ-cell lineage in mammals is believed to separate from somatic lineages around the time of gastrulation. We present data showing that germline cells can originate from a human hepatic cell line (HL7702) in vitro. In specific culture conditions, the HL7702 cells gave rise to a subpopulation of morphologically distinct cells, some of which expressed germline-specific markers, consistent with germ cell formation. After prolonged culture, the putative germ cells were capable of forming follicle-like structures, generating oocyte-like cells, subsequently developing into blastocyst-like structures in vitro, and causing germ cell/embryonic tumors in vivo, thereby indicating that the human hepatic cells actually have the potential of germline cells in vitro. Our findings will provide a novel way to obtain human germ cells and a new model to investigate human oogenesis in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Labroatory Medicine, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200040, China.
authors.forename: Zhan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Ruilai
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiaojin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Mingying
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Chunfang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D019070:Cell Lineage; D005260:Female; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000473:pathology; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009866:Oogenesis; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000166:cytology