Spontaneous differentiation potency of induced pluripotent stem cells into male germ cells in vitro / 中华男科学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the expression profile of male germ cell-associated genes during the spontaneous differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) and assess the potency of their spontaneous differentiation into male germ cells in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Embryoid body (EB) formation was used to promote the spontaneous differentiation of iPS into male germ cells, and the expressions of germ cell-associated genes were detected by real-time PCR and PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Real-time PCR and PCR revealed different expression levels of relevant genes at different times of iPS spontaneous differentiation into male germ cells. Each of the 9 genes analyzed exhibited one of the four temporal expression patterns wavelike increase of Oct4, progressive decrease of Dppa3 and Stra8, wavelike decrease of Dazl, and decrease following initial increase of Tex14, Msy2, Scp1, Scp3 and Akap3.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Induced pluripotent stem cells express male germ cell-associated genes and male haploid genes during their spontaneous differentiation through EB formation, and have the potency of differentiating into male gametes.</p>