- Title:
- Complete Meiosis from Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Germ Cells In Vitro
- Journal:
- Cell, February 2016
- Author(s):
- Quan Zhou1,2,8, Mei Wang2,3,8, Yan Yuan1,2,8, Xuepeng Wang2,4, Rui Fu2, Haifeng Wan2, Mingming Xie2,5, Mingxi Liu1, Xuejiang Guo1, Ying Zheng6, Guihai Feng2, Qinghua Shi7, Xiao-Yang Zhao2,9, Jiahao Sha1, Qi Zhou2
- Author(s) affiliation:
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
2 State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
3 College of the Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China
4 University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
5 College of Life Science, Anhui University of China, Hefei 230601, China
6 Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225001, Jiangsu, China
7 Molecular and Cell Genetics Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
- Short description:
- In vitro generation of functional gametes is a promising approach for treating infertility, although faithful replication of meiosis has proven to be a substantial obstacle to deriving haploid gamete cells in culture. Here we report complete in vitro meiosis from embryonic stem cell (ESC)-derived primordial germ cells (PGCLCs). Co-culture of PGCLCs with neonatal testicular somatic cells and sequential exposure to morphogens and sex hormones reproduced key hallmarks of meiosis, including erasure of genetic imprinting, chromosomal synapsis and recombination, and correct nuclear DNA and chromosomal content in the resulting haploid cells. Intracytoplasmic injection of the resulting spermatid-like cells into oocytes produced viable and fertile offspring, showing that this robust stepwise approach can functionally recapitulate male gametogenesis in vitro. These findings provide a platform for investigating meiotic mechanisms and the potential generation of human haploid spermatids in vitro.
- Link to the journal
Abstract taken from PubMed
