X chromosome reactivation initiates in nascent primordial germ cells in mice.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Sugimoto M
PROVIDER: S-EPMC1950944 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:X chromosome inactivation (XCI), determined during development, remains stable after embryonic cell divisions. However, primordial germ cells (PGCs) are exceptions in that XCI is reprogrammed and inactivated X chromosomes are reactivated. Although interactions between PGCs and somatic cells are thought to be important for PGC development, little is known about them. Here, we performed imaging of X chromosome reactivation (XCR) using the 'Momiji' mouse system, which can monitor the X chromosome's inactive and active states using two color fluorescence reporter genes, and investigated whether interactions would affect XCR in PGCs. Based on their expression levels, we found that XCR of the Pgk1 locus began at embryonic day (E)10.5 and was almost complete by E13.5. During this period, PGCs became distributed uniformly in the genital ridge, proliferated, and formed clusters; XCR progressed accordingly. In addition, XCR of the Pgk1 locus preceded that of the Hprt locus, indicating that the timing of epigenetic memory erasure varied according to the locus of each of these X-linked genes. Our results indicate that XCR proceeds along with the proliferation of PGCs clustered within the genital ridge. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
| S-EPMC8096617 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In the early epiblast of female mice, one of the two X chromosomes is randomly inactivated by a Xist-dependent mechanism, involving the recruitment of Ezh2-Eed and the subsequent trimethylation of histone 3 on lysine 27 (H3K27me3). We demonstrate that this random inactivation process applies also to the primordial germ cell (PGC) precursors, located in the proximal region of the epiblast. PGC specification occurs at about embryonic day (E)7.5, in the extraembryonic mesoderm, after which the germ cells enter the endoderm of the invaginating hindgut. As they migrate towards the site of the future gonads, the XX PGCs gradually lose the H3K27me3 accumulation on the silent X chromosome. However, using a GFP transgene inserted into the X chromosome, we observed that the XX gonadal environment (independently of the gender) is important for the substantial reactivation of the inactive X chromosome between E11.5 and E13.5, but is not required for X-chromosome reactivation during the derivation of pluripotent embryonic germ cells. We describe in detail one of the key events during female PGC development, the epigenetic reprogramming of the X chromosome, and demonstrate the role of the XX somatic genital ridge in this process.
| S-EPMC2233679 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We previously reported that the genomes of gonadal germ cells at 11.5-19.5 days postcoitum (dpc) are incompetent to support full-term development of cloned mouse embryos. In this study, we performed nuclear transfer using primordial germ cells (PGCs) from earlier stages at 8.5-10.5 dpc. When PGC nuclei at 8.5, 9.5, and 10.5 dpc were transferred into enucleated oocytes, seven cloned embryos developed into full-term offspring. Of these, five, all derived from 8.5- or 9.5-dpc PGCs, developed into healthy adults with normal fertility. Of the remaining two offspring derived from 10.5-dpc PGCs, one died shortly after birth, and the other showed slight growth retardation but subsequently developed into a fertile adult. We examined allele-specific methylation at the imprinted H19 and Snrpn loci in 9.5- to 11.5-dpc PGCs. Although the beginning of methylation erasure was evident on the H19 paternal allele at 9.5 dpc, most PGCs did not demonstrate significant erasure of paternal allele-specific methylation until 10.5 dpc. Maternal allele-specific methylation was largely erased from Snrpn by 10.5 dpc. By 11.5 dpc, the majority of PGCs showed nearly complete or complete erasure of allele-specific methylation in both H19 and Snrpn. These results demonstrate that at least some genomic imprints remain largely intact in 8.5- to 9.5-dpc PGCs and then undergo erasure at approximately 10.5 dpc as the PGCs enter the genital ridges. Thus, migrating PGCs at 8.5-9.5 dpc can be successfully used as donors for nuclear transfer, whereas gonadal PGCs at 11.5 dpc and later are incompetent to support full-term development.
| S-EPMC1182132 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In mice, primordial germ cells migrate into the genital ridges by embryonic day 13.5 (E13.5), where they are then subjected to a sex-specific fate with female and male primordial germ cells undergoing mitotic arrest and meiosis, respectively. However, the sex-specific basis of primordial germ cell differentiation is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the sex-specific features of mouse primordial germ cells. We performed RNA-sequencing (seq) of E13.5 female and male mouse primordial germ cells using next-generation sequencing. We identified 651 and 428 differentially expressed transcripts (>2-fold, P < 0.05) in female and male primordial germ cells, respectively. Of these, many transcription factors were identified. Gene ontology and network analysis revealed differing functions of the identified female- and male-specific genes that were associated with primordial germ cell acquisition of sex-specific properties required for differentiation into germ cells. Furthermore, DNA methylation and ChIP-seq analysis of histone modifications showed that hypomethylated gene promoter regions were bound with H3K4me3 and H3K27me3. Our global transcriptome data showed that in mice, primordial germ cells are decisively assigned to a sex-specific differentiation program by E13.5, which is necessary for the development of vital germ cells.
| S-EPMC4689518 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Dosage compensation is a mechanism that equalizes sex chromosome gene expression between the sexes. In Drosophila, individuals with two X chromosomes (XX) become female, whereas males have one X chromosome (XY). In males, dosage compensation of the X chromosome in the soma is achieved by five proteins and two non-coding RNAs, which assemble into the male-specific lethal (MSL) complex to upregulate X-linked genes twofold. By contrast, it remains unclear whether dosage compensation occurs in the germline. To address this issue, we performed transcriptome analysis of male and female primordial germ cells (PGCs). We found that the expression levels of X-linked genes were approximately twofold higher in female PGCs than in male PGCs. Acetylation of lysine residue 16 on histone H4 (H4K16ac), which is catalyzed by the MSL complex, was undetectable in these cells. In male PGCs, hyperactivation of X-linked genes and H4K16ac were induced by overexpression of the essential components of the MSL complex, which were expressed at very low levels in PGCs. Together, these findings indicate that failure of MSL complex formation results in the absence of X-chromosome dosage compensation in male PGCs.
| S-EPMC7921590 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Mammalian primordial germ cells (PGCs) are unipotent progenitors of the gametes. Nonetheless, they can give rise directly to pluripotent stem cells in vitro or during teratocarcinogenesis. This conversion is inconsistent, however, and has been difficult to study. Here, we delineate requirements for efficient resetting of pluripotency in culture. We demonstrate that in defined conditions, routinely 20% of PGCs become EG cells. Conversion can occur from the earliest specified PGCs. The entire process can be tracked from single cells. It is driven by leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and the downstream transcription factor STAT3. In contrast, LIF signaling is not required during germ cell ontogeny. We surmise that ectopic LIF/STAT3 stimulation reconstructs latent pluripotency and self-renewal. Notably, STAT3 targets are significantly upregulated in germ cell tumors, suggesting that dysregulation of this pathway may underlie teratocarcinogenesis. These findings demonstrate that EG cell formation is a robust experimental system for exploring mechanisms involved in reprogramming and cancer.
| S-EPMC3757743 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In mammals, primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the embryonic cell population that serve as germ cell precursors in both females and males. During mouse embryonic development, the majority of PGCs are arrested at the G2 phase when they migrate into the hindgut at 7.75-8.75?dpc (days post coitum). It is after 9.5?dpc that the PGCs undergo proliferation with a doubling time of 12.6?h. The molecular mechanisms underlying PGC proliferation are however not well studied. In this work. Here we studied how MASTL (microtubule-associated serine/threonine kinase-like)/Greatwall kinase regulates the rapid proliferation of PGCs. We generated a mouse model where we specifically deleted Mastl in PGCs and found a significant loss of PGCs before the onset of meiosis in female PGCs. We further revealed that the deletion of Mastl in PGCs did not prevent mitotic entry, but led to a failure of the cells to proceed beyond metaphase-like stage, indicating that MASTL-mediated molecular events are indispensable for anaphase entry in PGCs. These mitotic defects further led to the death of Mastl-null PGCs by 12.5?dpc. Moreover, the defect in mitotic progression observed in the Mastl-null PGCs was rescued by simultaneous deletion of Ppp2r1a (? subunit of PP2A). Thus, our results demonstrate that MASTL, PP2A, and therefore regulated phosphatase activity have a fundamental role in establishing female germ cell population in gonads by controlling PGC proliferation during embryogenesis.
| S-EPMC5301161 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:Specification of primordial germ cells (PGCs) results in the conversion of pluripotent epiblast cells into monopotent germ cell lineage. Blimp1/Prmt5 complex plays a critical role in the specification and maintenance of the early germ cell lineage. However, PGCs can be induced to dedifferentiate back to a pluripotent state as embryonic germ (EG) cells when exposed to exogenous signaling molecules, FGF-2, LIF and SCF. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Here we show that Trichostatin A (TSA), an inhibitor of histone deacetylases, is a highly potent agent that can replace FGF-2 to induce dedifferentiation of PGCs into EG cells. A key early event during dedifferentiation of PGCs in response to FGF-2 or TSA is the down-regulation of Blimp1, which reverses and apparently relieves the cell fate restriction imposed by it. Notably, the targets of Blimp1, which include c-Myc and Klf-4, which represent two of the key factors known to promote reprogramming of somatic cells to pluripotent state, are up-regulated. We also found early activation of the LIF/Stat-3 signaling pathway with the translocation of Stat-3 into the nucleus. By contrast, while Prmt5 is retained in EG cells, it translocates from the nucleus to the cytoplasm where it probably has an independent role in regulating pluripotency. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:We propose that dedifferentiation of PGCs into EG cells may provide significant mechanistic insights on early events associated with reprogramming of committed cells to a pluripotent state.
| S-EPMC2567847 | biostudies-literature
Project description:X-chromosome dosage compensation in female placental mammals is achieved by X-chromosome inactivation (XCI). Human pre-implantation embryos are an exception, in which dosage compensation occurs by X-chromosome dampening (XCD). Here, we examined whether XCD extends to human prenatal germ cells given their similarities to naive pluripotent cells. We found that female human primordial germ cells (hPGCs) display reduced X-linked gene expression before entering meiosis. Moreover, in hPGCs, both X chromosomes are active and express the long non-coding RNAs X active coating transcript (XACT) and X inactive specific transcript (XIST)-the master regulator of XCI-which are silenced after entry into meiosis. We find that XACT is a hPGC marker, describe XCD associated with XIST expression in hPGCs and suggest that XCD evolved in humans to regulate X-linked genes in pre-implantation embryos and PGCs. Furthermore, we found a unique mechanism of X-chromosome regulation in human primordial oocytes. Therefore, future studies of human germline development must consider the sexually dimorphic X-chromosome dosage compensation mechanisms in the prenatal germline.
| S-EPMC7717582 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Stem cells are unique cell types capable to proliferate, some of them indefinitely, while maintaining the ability to differentiate into a few or any cell lineages. In 2003, a group headed by Hans R. Schöler reported that oocyte-like cells could be produced from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells in vitro. After more than 10 years, where have these researches reached? Which are the major successes achieved and the problems still remaining to be solved? Although during the last years, many reviews have been published about these topics, in the present work, we will focus on an aspect that has been little considered so far, namely a strict comparison between the in vitro and in vivo developmental capabilities of the primordial germ cells (PGCs) isolated from the embryo and the PGC-like cells (PGC-LCs) produced in vitro from different types of stem cells in the mouse, the species in which most investigation has been carried out. Actually, the formation and differentiation of PGCs are crucial for both male and female gametogenesis, and the faithful production of PGCs in vitro represents the basis for obtaining functional germ cells.
| S-EPMC4632295 | biostudies-other