title: BMP4 promotes SSEA-1(+) hUC-MSC differentiation into male germ-like cells in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent studies have demonstrated that primordial germ cells (PGC) can be differentiated from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs), and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in vitro. Nevertheless, efficiencies were low and unstable. Here, whether hUC-MSCs can be induced to differentiate into germ-like cells with the aid of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP4) was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were freshly isolated and cultured with BMP4. SSEA-1(+/-) cells were purified using magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) from the hUC-MSCs, and further induced with BMP4. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunofluorescence analysis were used to determine PGC and germ-like cell-specific markers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells differentiated into SSEA-1(+) spherical PGC-like cells efficiently with 12.5 ng/ml BMP4. qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that SSEA-1(+) cells expressed higher levels of PGC-specific markers than SSEA-1(-) cells. Furthermore, SSEA-1(+) cells were induced with BMP4 to differentiate into STRA8, SCP3, DMRT1 and PLZF-positive male germ-like cells, and some sperm-like cells were obtained by 7-14 days after induction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that SSEA-1(+) hUC-MSCs can differentiate into male germ-like cells in the presence of BMP4. This study provides an efficient protocol to study germ-cell development using hUC-MSCs.
authors.affiliation: 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, 712100, China.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hua
mesh_terms: D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D016256:Lewis X Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: C525809:BMP4 protein, human; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D016256:Lewis X Antigen