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Updated: Jul 30, 2026
Germ Cell Transplantation and Testis Tissue Xenografting in Mice
Published on: February 6, 2012
Primate spermatogonial stem cells colonize mouse testes
M Nagano1, J R McCarrey, R L Brinster
1Department of Animal Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-6009, USA.
Abstract:
In mice, transplantation of spermatogonial stem cells from a fertile male to the seminiferous tubules of an infertile recipient male results in progeny with donor-derived haplotype. Attempts to extend this approach by transplanting human testis cells to mice have led to conflicting claims that no donor germ cells persisted or that human spermatozoa were produced in the recipient. To examine this issue we used the baboon, a primate in which testis cell populations of several ages could be obtained for transplantation, and demonstrate that donor spermatogonial stem cells readily establish germ cell colonies in recipient mice, which exist for periods of at least 6 mo. However, differentiation of germ cells toward the lumen of the tubule and production of spermatozoa did not occur. The presence of baboon spermatogonial stem cells and undifferentiated spermatogonia in mouse seminiferous tubules for long periods after transplantation indicates that antigens, growth factors, and signaling molecules that are necessary for interaction of these cells and the testis environment have been preserved for 100 million years of evolutionary separation. Because germ cell differentiation and spermatogenesis did not occur, the molecules necessary for this process appear to have undergone greater divergence between baboon and mouse.
Insights
Baboon stem cells successfully colonized mouse testes, but did not produce sperm. This suggests key molecules for sperm development diverged significantly between baboons and mice over evolutionary time.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Stem Cell Transplantation
- Comparative Genomics
Background:
- Spermatogonial stem cell transplantation is a method for studying germ cell development and fertility.
- Previous attempts to transplant human testis cells into mice yielded conflicting results regarding germ cell survival and differentiation.
- The baboon serves as a valuable model for studying primate reproductive biology due to its phylogenetic proximity to humans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the survival and differentiation potential of baboon spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) following transplantation into infertile mouse testes.
- To explore the evolutionary conservation of factors necessary for SSC survival and spermatogenesis between primates and rodents.
Main Methods:
- Transplantation of baboon testis cells into seminiferous tubules of recipient mice.
- Long-term monitoring of donor cell survival and differentiation using histological and molecular analyses.
- Comparative analysis of conserved and diverged molecular interactions between baboon and mouse testis environments.
Main Results:
- Baboon SSCs successfully engrafted and formed colonies in mouse seminiferous tubules, persisting for at least six months.
- Donor germ cells did not differentiate towards the tubule lumen or produce spermatozoa.
- The long-term survival of baboon SSCs indicates conserved factors for stem cell maintenance between species separated by 100 million years.
Conclusions:
- Essential factors for spermatogonial stem cell survival and self-renewal are conserved between baboons and mice.
- The lack of germ cell differentiation suggests that molecules regulating spermatogenesis have diverged significantly between these species.
- This study highlights the evolutionary divergence in the molecular mechanisms governing mammalian spermatogenesis.
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