title: Gender depended potentiality of differentiation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells into oocyte-Like cells in vitro.
abstract: Recent studies have demonstrated that germ-like cells could be differentiated from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) in vitro. Whether the sexuality of hUC-MSCs affects the formation efficiency of germ-like cells derived from hUC-MSCs is still unclear. To clearly test the formation efficiency of oocyte-like cells from male and female hUC-MSCs, obtained hUC-MSCs were induced by 20% follicular fluid (FF) according to the method that has been proved by our previous studies. Results showed that hUC-MSCs differentiated into oocyte-like structures and expressed germ cell makers. It was noted that the presence of advanced oocyte-like cells in male hUC-MSCs (m-hUC-MSCs) was similar as that in female hUC-MSCs (f-hUC-MSCs); however, the expression of germ cell's specific markers in m-hUC-MSCs was delayed compared with that in f-hUC-MSCs. In addition, immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that germ cell-specific markers, Oct4, Vasa, Dazl, ZP2, ZP3 and Stra8, were expressed on the 14th day after induction in both f-hUC-MSCs and m-hUC-MSCs. However, the size of oocyte-like cells from f-hUC-MSCs was larger than that in m-hUC-MSCs. The level of secreted oestradiol was significantly higher in f-hUC-MSCs than m-hUC-MSCs. We sought to determine whether critical germ cell's transcription factor-Figlα will promote the development of oocyte-like cells. Some germ cell-specific markers were increased when exogenous Figlα was transfected into hUC-MSCs. This process implied that germ-like cells might be produced by over-expression of exogenous germ cell-specific gene, and this process was similar as that in production of germ cells in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Finally, to verify the feasibility that hUC-MSCs differentiate into germ cells, hUC-MSCs were transplanted into seminiferous tubules and kidney capsule of mouse, respectively, and we found the transplanted cells differentiated into germ-like cells in recipient's seminiferous tubules and kidney capsule. This study will provide a simple model to study mammalian germ cell specification using hUC-MSCs in vitro.
authors: College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Key Lab for Animal Biotechnology of Agriculture Ministry of China, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors: Pubin
authors: P
authors: Qiu
authors: Yaofu
authors: Y
authors: Bai
authors: Shaohui
authors: S
authors: Pan
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Li
authors: Weishuai
authors: W
authors: Liu
authors: Jinlian
authors: J
authors: Hua
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D048429:Cell Size; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D012737:Sex Factors; D014162:Transfection; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers; D004958:Estradiol; C109920:Figla protein, mouse
keywords: Figlα; germ cells; mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs); umbilical cord (UC)