Purification of GFRα1+ and GFRα1- Spermatogonial Stem Cells Reveals a Niche-Dependent Mechanism for Fate Determination.

ABSTRACT: Undifferentiated spermatogonia comprise a pool of stem cells and progenitor cells that show heterogeneous expression of markers, including the cell surface receptor GFRα1. Technical challenges in isolation of GFRα1+ versus GFRα1- undifferentiated spermatogonia have precluded the comparative molecular characterization of these subpopulations and their functional evaluation as stem cells. Here, we develop a method to purify these subpopulations by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and show that GFRα1+ and GFRα1- undifferentiated spermatogonia both demonstrate elevated transplantation activity, while differing principally in receptor tyrosine kinase signaling and cell cycle. We identify the cell surface molecule melanocyte cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) as differentially expressed in these p

SUBMITTER: Garbuzov A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5830912 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature