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The crucial role of Activin A on the formation of primordial germ cell-like cells from skin-derived stem cells in vitro.

ABSTRACT: Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are founder cells of the germ cell lineage, and can be differentiated from stem cells in an induced system in vitro. However, the induction conditions need to be optimized in order to improve the differentiation efficiency. Activin A (ActA) is a member of the TGF-? super family and plays an important role in oogenesis and folliculogenesis. In the present study, we found that ActA promoted PGC-like cells (PGCLCs) formation from mouse skin-derived stem cells (SDSCs) in both embryoid body-like structure (EBLS) differentiation and the co-culture stage in a dose dependent manner. ActA treatment (100 ng/ml) during EBLS differentiation stage and further co-cultured for 6 days without ActA significantly increased PGCLCs from 53.2% to 82.8%, and as well as EBLS differentiation without ActA followed by co-cultured with 100 ng/ml ActA for 4 to 12 days with the percentage of PGCLCs increasing markedly in vitro. Moreover, mice treated with ActA at 100 ng/kg body weight from embryonic day (E) 5.5-12.5 led to more PGCs formation. However, the stimulating effects of ActA were interrupted by Smad3 RNAi, and in an in vitro cultured Smad3(-/-) mouse skin cells scenario. SMAD3 is thus likely a key effecter molecule in the ActA signaling pathway. In addition, we found that the expression of some epiblast cell markers, Fgf5, Dnmt3a, Dnmt3b and Wnt3, was increased in EBLSs cultured for 4 days or PGCLCs co-cultured for 12 days with ActA treatment. Interestingly, at 16 days of differentiation, the percentage of PGCLCs was decreased in the presence of ActA, but the expression of meiosis-relative genes, such as Stra8, Dmc1, Sycp3 and Sycp1, was increased. In conclusion, our data here demonstrated that ActA can promote PGCLC formation from SDSCs in vitro, at early stages of differentiation, and affect meiotic initiation of PGCLCs in later stages.

SUBMITTER: Sun R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4825550 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The crucial role of Activin A on the formation of primordial germ cell-like cells from skin-derived stem cells in vitro.

Sun Rui R Sun Yuan-Chao YC Ge Wei W Tan Hui H Cheng Shun-Feng SF Yin Shen S Sun Xiao-Feng XF Li Lan L Dyce Paul P Li Julang J Yang Xiao X Shi Qing-Hua QH Shen Wei W

Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.) 20150101 19

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are founder cells of the germ cell lineage, and can be differentiated from stem cells in an induced system in vitro. However, the induction conditions need to be optimized in order to improve the differentiation efficiency. Activin A (ActA) is a member of the TGF-β super family and plays an important role in oogenesis and folliculogenesis. In the present study, we found that ActA promoted PGC-like cells (PGCLCs) formation from mouse skin-derived stem cells (SDSCs) in ...[more]

PMID: 26406115

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a common disease in reproductive women. The pathogenesis of POI is not clear, although it is known that it involves the disorder of oocyte differentiation and development. The introduction of reprogramming human somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offers a unique opportunity to study many aspects of POI from cell differentiation in vitro that could ultimately lead to novel drug development and testing to help treat the disorder. METHODS:The fibroblasts from POI patients, including fragile X syndrome, abnormal karyotype (45, X; 45, X/46, XX; 45, XO and 47, XXX), and the gene mutation (FIGLA and GDF9) were reprogrammed to pluripotency status by retroviral transduction using defined factors. The morphology, growth characteristics, gene expression profiles, epigenetic status, and in vitro and in vivo differentiation potential of the POI-1-iPSCs (from fragile X syndrome) were analyzed. Then, POI-1-iPSCs were induced to differentiation into primordial germ cells (PGCs) with DNA methyltransferase inhibitors. RESULTS:The iPSCs were successfully generated from POI patients' fibroblasts. The formed iPS clones have the same characteristics of human ESCs. POI-1-iPSCs were successfully generated with germline competence. The POI-1-iPSCs, with genotypes of fragile X syndrome, can be induced to differentiation into PGCs with high efficiency under our culture system by DNA demethylation. This study proved that disease-specific iPSC lines derived from POI patients could be generated and successfully differentiated into PGCs. CONCLUSIONS:We established some novel, systemic cell models for the studying of the pathogenesis of POI patients. Second, DNA demethylation may accelerate the induction of human PGCs from iPSCs in vitro and the conclusion needs further exploration. This represents an important step in the novel approach for the study of the pathophysiology and potential egg resource for POI patients.

Project description:Research about potential use of stem cells for the development of germ line cells in vitro had been challenged. In the present study, we reported a novel protocol consisting of cocktail growth factor addition for germ cell differentiation followed by transfection. The cells were purificated based on the expression on the cell surface of a protein. This protein is not present in normal cells of mice and does not interfere with cellular function. This cell surface marker is efficiently recognized by monoclonal antibodies. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells derived primordial germ like cells were differentiated to spermatogonial stem like cells by inducer cocktail including Retinoic acid (RA)+Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)+Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFgF). Co-culture system was used as a feeder under differentiated cells. A 400 bp fragment of spermatogonia-specific Stra-8 locus was enough to direct gene expression to the germ line stem cells. Stra8-CD4HAglo construct was used for purification of premeiotic differentiated cells. Expression of pluripotency (Pou5F1, Nanog, c-Myc) and specific germ cell (Mvh, Piwil2, Stra-8) genes in each stage were analyzed. The purified cells expressed the known molecular markers of PGC-like cells such as Mvh, Piwil2 & Stra-8. The outcomes of qPCR showed that ratio pluripotency of genes expression in selective group significantly decreased (p≤0.05) in the initial differentiation process. This results showed that ratio of Pou5F1, Nanog, c-Myc, Mvh, Piwil2 & Stra-8 expression to purified PGC-like cells were 0.41, 0.204, 1.1, 0.003, 0.184 and 2.276, respectively. Treatment of cells with RA affected up regulation of Stra-8. Although, c-Myc gene as an oncogenic gene had significantly increased (p≤0.05) at the end of differentiation stage compared to initial phase of study, this level of expression could not be tumorgenic. qPCR results of the differentiation stage showed higher expression of Stra-8 in co-culture+ cocktail and co-culture groups, Also, there was a significant difference (p≤0.05) in the expression of Pou5F1 & Nanog. Our results suggest that selection and purification of PGC-like cells based on Stra-8 as a pre-meiotic marker is a useful tool for getting in vitro spermatogonial stem cell. This method facilitates identification of safely differentiated germ cells in vitro.

Dataset Information

The crucial role of Activin A on the formation of primordial germ cell-like cells from skin-derived stem cells in vitro.

Publications

The crucial role of Activin A on the formation of primordial germ cell-like cells from skin-derived stem cells in vitro.

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