title: Mechanism and Reconstitution In Vitro of Germ Cell Development in Mammals.
abstract: The germ cell lineage creates new individuals, perpetuating/diversifying the genetic and epigenetic information across generations. Based on the knowledge obtained through investigations into the mechanisms of germ cell specification and development in mice, we have succeeded in precisely reconstituting the specification and subsequent development of germ cells in culture in both males and females: Embryonic stem cells (ESCs)/induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are induced into epiblast-like cells (EpiLCs) and then into primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs), which robustly contribute to spermatogenesis and oogenesis and to fertile offspring. This in vitro mouse PGC specification/development system has led to the elucidation of signaling, transcriptional, and epigenetic regulation during germ cell development in a detailed fashion. More recently, based on this system, we and others have demonstrated the induction of human PGCLCs from human ESCs/iPSCs, creating an opportunity for understanding the mechanism of human germ cell development in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan JST, ERATO, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kurimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan JST, ERATO, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Ushinomiya-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitinori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saitou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005854:Germ Cells; D005855:Germ Layers; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics*