VENTX gene expression marks a subset of human primordial germ cells
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE144500 | GEO | 2021/01/20
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:The germ cell lineage ensures the continuity of life through the generation of male and female gametes, which unite to form a totipotent zygote. We have established a culture system that recapitulates the mouse germ-cell specification pathway: Using cytokines, 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) with capacity both for spermatogenesis and oogenesis, creating an opportunity for understanding and regulating mammalian germ cell development in both sexes in vitro. Here we show that, without cytokines, simultaneous over-expression of three transcription factors (TFs), Blimp1 (also known as Prdm1), Prdm14 and Tfap2c (also known as AP2γ), directs EpiLCs, but not ESCs, swiftly and highly efficiently into a PGC state with endogenous transcription circuitry. The induction of the PGC state on EpiLCs minimally requires Prdm14 but not Blimp1 or Tfap2c. The TF-induced PGC state reconstitutes key transcriptome and epigenetic reprogramming in PGCs, but bypasses a mesodermal program that accompanies PGC specification in vivo and in vitro by cytokines including BMP4. Importantly, the TF-induced PGC-like cells robustly contribute to spermatogenesis and fertile offspring. Our findings provide not only a novel insight into the transcriptional logic that creates a germ cell state, but also a foundation for the TF-based reconstitution and regulation of mammalian gametogenesis. Aim of this analysis is characterization of transcription factor-induced primordial germ cells (TF-PGCLCs) compared with cytokine-induced primordial germ cells (Ck-PGCLCs) (Hayashi et al., 2011, Cell), epiblast-like cells (EpiLCs) (Hayashi et al., 2011, Cell), and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and identification of genes differentially expressed among them. TF-PGCLCs induced by multiple combinations of TFs (Blimp1 (B), Prdm14 (P14), and Tfap2c (A) (BP14A), BP14, P14A, P14) on day 2 and 4 (for BP14A cells) of the induction were also compared. Parental clone without exogenous TFs cultured with doxycycline, are also included as a negative control. Ck-PGCLCs day 2 and day 4 samples, which are previously unreported, EpiLCs and ESCs used in this study were also included. Overexpression of exogenous three TFs in ESCs yields stella-ECFP (SC) positive cells, which were sorted and included in the analysis. cDNA samples, prepared from approximately 20,000 cells, were amplified with a quantitative global PCR method (Kurimoto et al., 2006, Nucleic Acids Research). Two biological duplicates for each cell type were analyzed. Samples from GSE30056 were also included and reanalysed (GSM1070855-GSM1070864).
2013-08-04 | E-GEOD-43775 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:The molecular mechanisms underlying the commitment of cells to the germ cell lineage and the subsequent formation of germ cells during mammalian development remain poorly understood due to an inability to obtain sufficient amounts of cellular materials to conduct thorough in-vitro analyses. Although primordial germ cells (PGCs) have been generated and isolated from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in vitro, concurrent expression of several cell surface receptors and transcription factors, at various levels, confounds the identification of these cells. To date, only a few genes that mark the onset of germ cell commitment to the epiblast, including tissue nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP), Blimp1, Stella, and Fragilis, have been used with some degree of success to detect PGC formation in in-vitro model systems. In light of the current literature, the generation of an unlimited supply of germ cells and gametes from pluripotent stem cells would greatly facilitate studies into reproductive development. To accomplish this, we would need to discover novel markers that are specifically expressed in germ cells. Here we identified four genes that are specifically expressed in male and female germ cells, both in vivo and in vitro, but are not expressed in somatic tissues or ESCs. Expression of these genes therefore allows us to distinguish committed germ cells from undifferentiated pluripotent cell populations, a prerequisite for the successful derivation of germ cells and gametes in vitro. For RNA isolation, PGCs were sorted by FACS, collected by centrifugation, lysed in RLT buffer (QIAGEN), and processed using RNeasy Micro kits with on-column DNase digestion as per the manufacturer's instructions. Integrity of RNA samples was quality-checked using a 2100 Bioanalyzer (Agilent). If possible, 300 ng of total RNA per sample was used as starting material for linear amplification (Illumina TotalPrep RNA amplification kit, Ambion), which involved synthesis of T7-linked double-stranded cDNA and 14 hrs of in-vitro transcription incorporating biotin-labeled nucleotides. Purified and labeled cRNA was then quality-checked on a 2100 Bioanalyser, and hybridized as biological or technical duplicates for 18 hrs onto MouseRef-8 v2 gene expression BeadChips (Illumina), following the manufacturer's instructions. After being washed, the chips were stained with streptavidin-Cy3 (GE Healthcare) and scanned using the iScan reader and accompanying software. 44 samples were analyzed. ESCm: OG2 male Embryonic Stem Cell, +/+ Oct4-GFP ES cells, 1 biological rep 11.5: 11.5 embryonic day PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 12.5F: 12.5 embryonic day female PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 13.5F: 13.5 embryonic day female PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 14.5F: 14.5 embryonic day female PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 15.5F: 15.5 embryonic day female PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 16.5F: 16.5 embryonic day female PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 17.5F: 17.5 embryonic day female PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 18.5F: 18.5 embryonic day female PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 12.5M: 12.5 embryonic day male PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 13.5M: 13.5 embryonic day male PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 14.5M: 14.5 embryonic day male PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 15.5M: 15.5 embryonic day male PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 16.5M: 16.5 embryonic day male PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 17.5M: 17.5 embryonic day male PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 18.5M: 18.5 embryonic day male PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 8M: 8 day after birth male PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 10M: 10 day after birth male PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 12M: 12 day after birth male PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 14M: 14 day after birth male PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 1 biological rep 16M: 16 day after birth male PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 18M: 18 day after birth male PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps 20M: 20 day after birth male PGC (Primordial Germ Cell), 2 biological reps
2010-11-16 | E-GEOD-23322 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:The generation of properly functioning gametes in vitro, a key goal in developmental/reproductive biology, requires multi-step reconstitutions of complex germ cell development. Based on the logic of primordial germ cell (PGC)-specification, we demonstrate here the generation of PGC-like cells (PGCLCs) in mice with robust capacity for spermatogenesis from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) through epiblast-like cells (EpiLCs), a cellular state highly similar to pre-gastrulating epiblasts, but distinct from epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs). The global transcription profiles, epigenetic reprogramming, and cellular dynamics during PGCLC induction from EpiLCs are a meticulous capture of those associated with PGC specification from the epiblasts. Furthermore, we identify Integrin-beta 3 and SSEA1 as markers that purify PGCLCs with spermatogenic capacity free from tumorigenic undifferentiated cells. With the reconstitution of PGC specification pathway from the naive inner cell mass state, our study defines a paradigm for the essential step of in vitro gametogenesis. We performed this analysis to reveal the characters of the cells that we created in this study, epiblast-like cells (EpiLCs) and primordial germ cells-like cells (PGCLCs). Because EpiLCs were induced from embryonic stem cells (ESCs), and equivalent to pre-gastrulating epiblast (embryonic day [E] 5.5-6.0) in vivo (embryo), ESCs and epiblast were included in this analysis. Epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs) are a culture cell type derived from epiblast, and were also included. PGCLCs were supposed to be equivalent to E9.5 PGCs based on reporter fluorescent transgene expressions and epigenetic properties, and therefore E9.5 PGCs were also inckuded in this analysis. Because epiblast and E9.5 PGCs are of a small number of cells in embryos (a few hundred to thousand cells), cDNAs were amplified with a quantitative global PCR method (Kurimoto et al., 2006, Nucleic Acids Research) for microarray analyses. We took two biological replicate for each cell type.
2011-08-04 | E-GEOD-30056 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Reconstitution of female germ-cell development in vitro is a key challenge in reproductive biology and medicine. We show here that female (XX) embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in mice are induced into primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs), which, when aggregated with female gonadal somatic cells as reconstituted ovaries, develop pre-meiotic germ cell characteristics, including X-reactivation, imprint erasure, and cyst formation. Upon transplantation under ovarian bursa, PGCLCs in the reconstituted ovaries mature into germinal vesicle-stage oocytes, which, through in vitro maturation and fertilization, contribute to fertile offspring. Our culture system serves as a robust foundation for the investigation of key properties of female germ cells, including the acquisition of totipotency, and for the reconstitution of whole female germ-cell development in vitro. We performed expression analysis of female PGC-like cells [PGCLCs; day 3 (d3), day 6 (d6), and day 3 followed by day 6 in aggregation with female embryonic day (E) 12.5 gonadal somatic cells (d3ag6)] in comparison to in vivo embryonic PGCs (E12.5 female PGCs and E9.5 PGCs) and male d6 PGCLCs. PGCLCs were marked with fluorescence of Blimp1-mVenus, stella-ECFP transgenic reporters (BVSC). PGCs were marked with fluorescence of the stella-EGFP transgenic reporter.
2012-11-05 | E-GEOD-40716 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Mammalian germ cells first establish as primordial germ cells (PGCs). There is an increasing demand to investigate the characteristics of human germ cells including PGCs. Recent studies have established the methodologies to derive human germ cells such as PGCs from human induced pluripotent cells (iPSCs). The in vitro-derived PGCs are referred to as PGC-like cells (PGCLCs) and exhibit the characteristics of the PGCs immediately after specification. Here we performed bulk RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) of PGCLCs and their parental iPSCs to characterize the expression signatures of human genes and transposable elements in PGCLCs in detail.
2022-03-08 | GSE167570 | GEO
Project description:The expansion of primordial germ cells (PGCs), the precursors for the oocytes and spermatozoa, is a key challenge in reproductive biology/medicine. Using a chemical screening exploiting PGC‐like cells (PGCLCs) induced from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), we here identify key signaling pathways critical for PGCLC proliferation. We show that the combinatorial application of Forskolin and Rolipram, which stimulate cAMP signaling via different mechanisms, expands PGCLCs up to ~50‐fold in culture. The expanded PGCLCs maintain robust capacity for spermatogenesis, rescuing the fertility of infertile mice. Strikingly, during expansion, PGCLCs comprehensively erase their DNA methylome, including parental imprints, in a manner that precisely recapitulates genome‐wide DNA demethylation in gonadal germ cells, while essentially maintaining their identity as sexually uncommitted PGCs, apparently through appropriate histone modifications. By establishing a paradigm for PGCLC expansion, our system reconstitutes the epigenetic “blank slate” of the germ line, an immediate precursory state for sexually dimorphic differentiation.
2017-05-30 | GSE87645 | GEO
Project description:The expansion of primordial germ cells (PGCs), the precursors for the oocytes and spermatozoa, is a key challenge in reproductive biology/medicine. Using a chemical screening exploiting PGC‐like cells (PGCLCs) induced from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), we here identify key signaling pathways critical for PGCLC proliferation. We show that the combinatorial application of Forskolin and Rolipram, which stimulate cAMP signaling via different mechanisms, expands PGCLCs up to ~50‐fold in culture. The expanded PGCLCs maintain robust capacity for spermatogenesis, rescuing the fertility of infertile mice. Strikingly, during expansion, PGCLCs comprehensively erase their DNA methylome, including parental imprints, in a manner that precisely recapitulates genome‐wide DNA demethylation in gonadal germ cells, while essentially maintaining their identity as sexually uncommitted PGCs, apparently through appropriate histone modifications. By establishing a paradigm for PGCLC expansion, our system reconstitutes the epigenetic “blank slate” of the germ line, an immediate precursory state for sexually dimorphic differentiation.
2017-05-30 | GSE87644 | GEO
Project description:Primordial Germ Cells (PGCs) are a rare population of cells specified early in embryonic development that give rise to gametes - sperm and egg cells. Current in vitro systems to derive PGC-like cells (PGCLCs) from pluripotent cells use large embryoid bodies, exposed to signalling cocktails, that do not recapitulate the native embryonic environment during PGC formation. Here we show that mouse gastruloids, three-dimensional in vitro models of gastrulation, generate a population of Gastruloid-derived PGC-like cells (Gld-PGCLCs) that resemble early PGCs in vivo. Importantly, the conserved organisation of mouse gastruloids leads to coordinated spatial and temporal localisation of Gld-PGCLCs relative to surrounding somatic cells, even in the absence of exogenous PGC-specific signalling or extraembryonic tissues. In gastruloids, self-organised interactions between cells and tissues, including the endodermal epithelium, enables the specification, migration, and subsequent maturation of a pool of Gld-PGCLCs. As such, mouse gastruloids represent a new source of PGCLCs in vitro and, due to their inherent co-development, serve as a novel model of dynamic PGC development within integrated tissue environments.
2023-08-07 | GSE228406 | GEO
Project description:Expression of germ cell nuclear factor (GCNF, Nr6a1), an orphan member of the nuclear receptor gene family of transcription factors, during gastrulation and neurulation is critical for normal embryogenesis in mice. Gcnf represses the expression of the POU domain transcription factor Oct4 (Pou5f1) during mouse post-implantation development. Although Gcnf expression is not critical for the embryonic segregation of the germ cell lineage, we found that sexually dimorphic expression of Gcnf in germ cells correlates with the expression of pluripotency-associated genes, such as Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog, as well as the early meiotic marker gene Stra8. To elucidate the role of Gcnf during mouse germ cell differentiation, we generated an ex vivo Gcnf-knockdown model in combination with a regulated CreLox mutation of Gcnf. Lack of Gcnf impairs normal spermatogenesis and oogenesis in vivo, as well as the derivation of germ cells from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in vitro. Inactivation of the Gcnf gene in vivo leads to loss of repression of Oct4 expression in both male and female gonads. For RNA isolation, PGCs were sorted by FACS, collected by centrifugation, lysed in RLT buffer (QIAGEN), and processed using the RNeasy micro and mini kits with on-column DNase digestion as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Integrity of RNA samples was quality checked using a 2100 Bioanalyzer (Agilent). When possible, 300 ng of total RNA per sample was used as starting material for linear amplification (Illumina TotalPrep RNA Amplification Kit, Ambion), which involved synthesis of T7-linked double-stranded cDNA and 14 hr of in-vitro transcription incorporating biotin-labeled nucleotides. Purified and labeled cRNA was then quality checked on a 2100 Bioanalyser and hybridized as biological or technical duplicates for 18 hr onto MouseRef-8 v2 gene expression BeadChips (Illumina), following the manufacturer's instructions. After being washed, the chips were stained with streptavidin-Cy3 (GE Healthcare) and scanned using an iScan reader and accompanying software. Bead intensities were mapped to gene information using BeadStudio 3.2 (Illumina). Background correction was performed using the Affymetrix Robust Multi-array Analysis (RMA) background correction model. Variance stabilization was performed using log2 scaling, and gene expression normalization was calculated with the quantile method implemented in the lumi package of R-Bioconductor. Data post-processing and graphics were performed with in-house developed functions in Matlab. 8 samples were analyzed: ESC++, ESC control Oct4-GFP, 1 replicate ESC--, ESC Gcnf -/- Oct4-GFP, 1 replicate D15++, Day 15 in vitro derived PGCs from GCNF +/+ Oct4-GFP ESC, 1 replicate D15--, Day 15 in vitro derived PGC from GCNF -/- Oct4-GFP ESC, 1 replicate D12++, Day 12 in vitro derived PGC from GCNF +/+ Oct4-GFP ESC, 1 replicate D12--, Day 12 in vitro derived PGC from GCNF -/- Oct4-GFP ESC, 1 replicate EpiSC, EpiESC, 2 replicates
2015-05-08 | E-GEOD-57506 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:The mechanism for sex determination in mammalian germ cells remains unclear. Here, we reconstitute the female sex determination in mouse germ cells in vitro under a defined condition without the use of gonadal somatic cells. We show that retinoic acid (RA) and its key effector, STRA8, are not sufficient to induce the female germ-cell fate. In contrast, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and RA synergistically induce primordial germ cells (PGCs)/PGC-like cells (PGCLCs) derived from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into fetal primary oocytes. The induction is characterized by the entry into the meiotic prophase, occurs synchronously and recapitulates cytological and transcriptome progression in vivo faithfully. Importantly, the female germ-cell induction necessitates a proper cellular competence–most typically, DNA demethylation of relevant genes–which is observed in appropriately propagated PGCs/PGCLCs, but not in PGCs/PGCLCs immediately after induction. This provides an explanation for the differential function of BMP signaling between PGC specification and female germ-cell induction. Ou findings represent a framework for a comprehensive delineation of the sex-determination pathway in mammalian germ cells, including humans.
2017-09-12 | GSE94136 | GEO