Reconstitution in vitro of the entire cycle of the mouse female germ line.

Nature

Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.

Published: November 2016


Article Synopsis

  • The female germ line undergoes specific differentiation processes that enable the egg to become totipotent.
  • Researchers successfully recreated the entire oogenesis process in the lab using mouse pluripotent stem cells, producing fully potent mature oocytes.
  • This innovative culture system allows for deeper understanding of totipotency and potential applications for creating oocytes from other mammals.

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Article Abstract

The female germ line undergoes a unique sequence of differentiation processes that confers totipotency to the egg. The reconstitution of these events in vitro using pluripotent stem cells is a key achievement in reproductive biology and regenerative medicine. Here we report successful reconstitution in vitro of the entire process of oogenesis from mouse pluripotent stem cells. Fully potent mature oocytes were generated in culture from embryonic stem cells and from induced pluripotent stem cells derived from both embryonic fibroblasts and adult tail tip fibroblasts. Moreover, pluripotent stem cell lines were re-derived from the eggs that were generated in vitro, thereby reconstituting the full female germline cycle in a dish. This culture system will provide a platform for elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying totipotency and the production of oocytes of other mammalian species in culture.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature20104DOI Listing

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