Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2026
12:06
Generation of Human Primordial Germ Cell-like Cells at the Surface of Embryoid Bodies from Primed-pluripotency Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Published on: January 11, 2019
Reprogramming primordial germ cells (PGC) to embryonic germ (EG) cells
Gabriela Durcova-Hills1, Azim Surani
1The Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute of Cancer and Developmental Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Current Protocols in Stem Cell Biology
|September 5, 2008
Summary
This study details deriving pluripotent embryonic germ (EG) cells from mouse primordial germ cells (PGCs). It covers EG cell propagation, characterization, and comparisons with embryonic stem (ES) cells.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Stem Cell Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the precursors to germline cells.
- Embryonic germ (EG) cells are pluripotent cells derived from PGCs.
- Understanding PGCs and their derivatives is crucial for developmental and stem cell research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the derivation of mouse EG cells from PGCs.
- To outline methods for propagating and characterizing EG cell lines.
- To differentiate between PGCs and EG cells and compare EG cells with embryonic stem (ES) cells.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of PGCs from mouse embryos at 8.5- and 11.5-days post-coitum (dpc).
- Culture and derivation of EG cells from isolated PGCs.
- Characterization of derived EG cell lines.
Main Results:
- Successful derivation of pluripotent EG cells from mouse PGCs.
- Established protocols for EG cell propagation and characterization.
- Detailed comparison of mouse EG cells with ES cells and highlighted differences from PGCs.
Conclusions:
- EG cells represent a valuable pluripotent cell type derived from PGCs.
- The methods described enable the generation and study of novel EG cell lines.
- This work provides insights into germ cell development and stem cell potential.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming
Reprogramming alters the gene expression in somatic cells, transforming them into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells over several generations. Scientists can reprogram cells by introducing genes for four transcription factors—Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (OSKM) by viral or non-viral methods. These factors are also known as Yamanaka factors after Shinya Yamanaka, who first generated iPS cells using mouse skin cells. Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012 for this...
01:24Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming
Nuclear reprogramming is a process of transforming one cell type into an unrelated cell type by epigenetic changes that alter the cell’s original gene expression pattern. Such epigenetic changes force cells to express a different set of genes, which play a significant role in inducing transformation into other cell types. Nuclear reprogramming offers applications in reproductive cloning for livestock propagation and regenerative medicine — developing patient-specific cells for injury repair.
01:14Introduction to Nuclear Reprogramming
Nuclear reprogramming is the process of switching gene expression of one cell type to that of another cell type, usually from a differentiated cell state to an undifferentiated cell state. Differentiation occurs during processes such as development and morphogenesis, tissue regeneration, and malignancy. Cells can also be artificially induced to reprogram their gene expression by techniques such as nuclear transfer, induced pluripotency, and cell fusion. Such techniques have many applications in...