Project description:Pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can be functionally assessed according to their developmental potency. Tetraploid complementation, through which an entire organism is produced from donor pluripotent cells, is taken as the most stringent test for pluripotency. It remains unclear whether ESCs from other species besides mice can pass this test. Here we show that the rat ESCs at very early passages are also capable to produce fertile offspring by tetraploid complementation, however, this capacity is rapidly lost during culture due to the loss of genomic imprinting. Our findings support that the naïve ground state pluripotency exists in rat and can be captured in rat ESCs, yet may be subjected to species-specific regulations, which have implications for the derivation and application of naïve pluripotent stem cells in other species including human.
Project description:Pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can be functionally assessed according to their developmental potency. Tetraploid complementation, through which an entire organism is produced from donor pluripotent cells, is taken as the most stringent test for pluripotency. It remains unclear whether ESCs from other species besides mice can pass this test. Here we show that the rat ESCs at very early passages are also capable to produce fertile offspring by tetraploid complementation, however, this capacity is rapidly lost during culture due to the loss of genomic imprinting. Our findings support that the naïve ground state pluripotency exists in rat and can be captured in rat ESCs, yet may be subjected to species-specific regulations, which have implications for the derivation and application of naïve pluripotent stem cells in other species including human.
Project description:The rat androgenetic embryonic stem cells (RahES cells) have only 21 chromosomes. However, they express pluripotency markers, differentiate into three germ layer cells as well as contribute to the germline as the normal diploid rat ES cells. Moreover, the RahES cells can produce fertile rats after intracytoplasmic injection into oocytes, thus are capable to transmit genetic modifications to offspring. We used microarrays to detail the global gene expression profile of RahES cells and identified distinct classes of up-regulated and down-regulated genes compared with the expression of normal diploid rat ES cells.
Project description:The rat androgenetic embryonic stem cells (RahES cells) have only 21 chromosomes. However, they express pluripotency markers, differentiate into three germ layer cells as well as contribute to the germline as the normal diploid rat ES cells. Moreover, the RahES cells can produce fertile rats after intracytoplasmic injection into oocytes, thus are capable to transmit genetic modifications to offspring. We used microarrays to detail the global gene expression profile of RahES cells and identified distinct classes of up-regulated and down-regulated genes compared with the expression of normal diploid rat ES cells. Two different RahES cell lines, one diploid rat ES cell line and round sperm cells were selected for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix Chip.
Project description:In vitro generation of germ cells from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) can crucially impact future reproductive medicine and animal breeding. A decade ago, in vitro gametogenesis was established in the mouse. However, induction of primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs) to produce fertile gametes has not been achieved in any other species. Here, we demonstrate the induction of functional PGCLCs from rat PSCs. We show that epiblast-like cells in floating aggregates form rat PGCLCs. The gonadal somatic cells support maturation and epigenetic reprogramming of the PGCLCs. Notably, rat PGCLCs transplanted into the seminiferous tubules of germline-less rats produce spermatids, leading to the birth of viable offspring. Insights from our rat model will elucidate conserved and divergent mechanisms essential for the broad applicability of in vitro gametogenesis.
Project description:In order to establish a rat embryonic stem cell transcriptome, mRNA from rESC cell line DAc8, the first male germline competent rat ESC line to be described and the first to be used to generate a knockout rat model was characterized using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis.
Project description:Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) provide a powerful tool to produce transgenic animals for biomedical research. However, impaired PSC contribution to chimerism and most notably the germline oftentimes impedes production of genetically modified animals, rendering techniques that expediate PSC contribution to the germline highly desirable. Blastocyst complementation denotes a technique which purposes to generate organs, tissues or cells in animal chimeras via microinjection of PSCs into genetically compromised blastocyst-stage embryos. Here we report on successful blastocyst complementation of the male germline in adult chimeras following microinjection of mouse or rat PSCs into mouse blastocysts mutated for Tsc22d3, an essential gene for spermatozoa production. Microinjection of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into Tsc22d3-KnockOut (KO) blastocyst-stage embryos gave rise to intraspecies chimeras embodying functional spermatozoa, which were solely derived from microinjected PSCs. Furthermore, microinjection of rat ESCs into Tsc22d3-KO mouse embryos gave rise to viable mouse-rat chimeras that exhibited extensive contribution of rat cells to various organs. Notably, multiple mouse-rat chimeras showed contribution of rat ESCs to the male germline, solely harboring rat spermatids and spermatozoa that were rat ESC-derived and could fertilize rat oocytes. Collectively, this study reports a method for exclusive production of functional germ cells of one species in another via blastocyst complementation with PSCs. Implications of this study extend to development of transgenic rats via sterile mice, and may further assist efforts to generate xenogeneic gametes from endangered animal species.
Project description:Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) provide a powerful tool to produce transgenic animals for biomedical research. However, impaired PSC contribution to chimerism and most notably the germline oftentimes impedes production of genetically modified animals, rendering techniques that expediate PSC contribution to the germline highly desirable. Blastocyst complementation denotes a technique which purposes to generate organs, tissues or cells in animal chimeras via microinjection of PSCs into genetically compromised blastocyst-stage embryos. Here we report on successful blastocyst complementation of the male germline in adult chimeras following microinjection of mouse or rat PSCs into mouse blastocysts mutated for Tsc22d3, an essential gene for spermatozoa production. Microinjection of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into Tsc22d3-KnockOut (KO) blastocyst-stage embryos gave rise to intraspecies chimeras embodying functional spermatozoa, which were solely derived from microinjected PSCs. Furthermore, microinjection of rat ESCs into Tsc22d3-KO mouse embryos gave rise to viable mouse-rat chimeras that exhibited extensive contribution of rat cells to various organs. Notably, multiple mouse-rat chimeras showed contribution of rat ESCs to the male germline, solely harboring rat spermatids and spermatozoa that were rat ESC-derived and could fertilize rat oocytes. Collectively, this study reports a method for exclusive production of functional germ cells of one species in another via blastocyst complementation with PSCs. Implications of this study extend to development of transgenic rats via sterile mice, and may further assist efforts to generate xenogeneic gametes from endangered animal species.