Expression profile of male germ cell-associated genes in mouse embryonic stem cell cultures treated with all-trans retinoic acid and testosterone.

ABSTRACT: Cells that morphologically and functionally resemble male germ cells can be spontaneously derived from ES cells. However, this process is inefficient and unpredictable suggesting that the expression pattern of male germ cell associated genes during spontaneous ES cell differentiation does not mimic the in vivo profiles of the genes. Thus, in the present study, the temporal profile of genes expressed at different stages of male germ cell development was examined in differentiating ES cells. The effect of all-trans retinoic acid (RA) which is a known inducer of primordial germ cell (PGC) proliferation/survival in vitro and testosterone which is required for spermatogenesis in vivo on the expression of these genes was also determined. Each of the 12 genes analyzed exhibited one of four tempor

SUBMITTER: Silva C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2664383 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature