title: Differentiation of Mouse Primordial Germ Cells into Functional Oocytes In Vitro.
abstract: Various complex molecular events in oogenesis cannot be observed in vivo. As a bioengineering technique for female reproductive tissues, in vitro culture systems for female germ cells have been used to analyze oogenesis and preserve germ cells for over 20 years. Recently, we have established a new methodological approach for the culture of primordial germ cells (PGCs) and successfully obtained offspring. Our PGC culture system will be useful to clarify unresolved mechanisms of fertility and sterility from the beginning of mammalian oogenesis, before meiosis. This review summarizes the history of culture methods for mammalian germ cells, our current in vitro system, and future prospects for the culture of germ cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Kanako
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morohaku
authors.affiliation: Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, NARO, 2 Ikenodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0901, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirao
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8502, Japan. y1obata@nodai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yayoi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Obata
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009866:Oogenesis
keywords: In vitro oocyte growth; Oocyte preservation; Primordial germ cell