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      Induction of Primordial Germ Cells from Pluripotent Epiblast

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          Abstract

          The formation of germ cells during embryogenesis bears the ultimate importance for the continuation of every species. It becomes evident that mechanisms governing germ cell fate specification are not well conserved across the animal kingdom. In most of the invertebrate and nonmammalian vertebrate species, certain maternally derived factors are key to the establishment of germ cell lineage. In contrast, mouse primordial germ cells (PGCs) are induced from the pluripotent epiblast cells before and during gastrulation by the extraembryonic cell-derived signals. The molecular identity for some of these signals has recently been revealed by genetic and epiblast culture experiments. Both bone morphogenetic proteins 4 (Bmp4) and 8b (Bmp8b) are expressed in the extraembryonic ectoderm and are required for PGC formation. Furthermore, BMP4 or BMP8B alone are unable to induce PGCs from cultured epiblasts, while they can in combination, indicating they signal through separate receptor complexes. In addition, Bmp4 homozygous embryos cannot be induced to form PGCs by the synergistic action of BMP4 and BMP8B, suggesting that BMP4 proteins produced by pregastrula embryos are required for epiblast cells to maintain pluripotency. Moreover, Bmp2, a close relative of Bmp4, is expressed in visceral endoderm at the time of PGC specification, and inactivation of Bmp2 results in a reduction in PGC number, revealing a novel function of visceral endoderm in PGC generation in the mouse.

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          Author and article information

          Journal
          ScientificWorldJournal
          ScientificWorldJournal
          TSWJ
          The Scientific World Journal
          TheScientificWorldJOURNAL
          2356-6140
          1537-744X
          2002
          26 March 2002
          : 2
          : 801-810
          Affiliations
          Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9051, USA
          Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, RI 02905, USA
          Author notes
          Article
          971387
          10.1100/tsw.2002.155
          6009444
          12806005
          de16b67c-307f-4986-928c-f16467861c0b
          Copyright © 2002 Ying Ying et al.

          This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

          History
          Funding
          Funded by: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
          Award ID: HD-36218
          Funded by: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
          Award ID: HD-39154
          Funded by: Basil O.Connor Starter Scholar Research
          Categories
          Review Article

          Uncategorized
          mammals,mouse,gastrulation,epiblast,germ cells,germ cell development,pgc (primordial germ cell),totipotency,pluripotency,bmp (bone morphogenetic protein),bmp2,bmp4,bmp8b,bmp receptors,smad1,smad5

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