Derivation of human primordial germ cell-like cells in an embryonic-like culture.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38167821.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-43871-2 and PMC identifier 10762101.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the embryonic precursors of sperm and eggs. They transmit genetic and epigenetic information across generations. Given the prominent role of germline defects in diseases such as infertility, detailed understanding of human PGC (hPGC) development has important implications in reproductive medicine and studying human evolution. Yet, hPGC specification remains an elusive process. Here, we report the induction of hPGC-like cells (hPGCLCs) in a bioengineered human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) culture that mimics peri-implantation human development. In this culture, amniotic ectoderm-like cells (AMLCs), derived from hPSCs, induce hPGCLC specification from hPSCs through paracrine signaling downstream of ISL1. Our data further show functional roles of NODAL, WNT, and BMP signaling in hPGCLC induction. hPGCLCs are successfully derived from eight non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) participant-derived hPSC lines using this biomimetic platform, demonstrating its promise for screening applications.
Medical subject headings
- Semen
- Pluripotent Stem Cells