Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 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
Embryonic germ cells from mice and rats exhibit properties consistent with a generic pluripotent ground state
Harry G Leitch1, Kate Blair, William Mansfield
1Wellcome Trust Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, The Henry Wellcome Building of Cancer and Developmental Biology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK.
Development (Cambridge, England)
|June 4, 2010
Summary
Dual inhibition (2i) supports self-renewal of mouse and rat embryonic germ (EG) cells, enabling their derivation and contribution to chimeras. This suggests a conserved molecular ground state in pluripotent rodent cells.
Area of Science:
- Stem cell biology
- Developmental biology
- Epigenetics
Background:
- Mouse and rat embryonic stem cells (ESCs) self-renew in defined medium using dual inhibition (2i) of Erk1/2 and GSK3.
- Embryonic germ (EG) cells, derived from primordial germ cells, also possess pluripotency but their derivation and self-renewal mechanisms are less understood.
- Investigating 2i's role in EG cell culture is crucial for understanding pluripotent cell states.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if dual inhibition (2i) supports the derivation and self-renewal of embryonic germ (EG) cells.
- To assess the potential of 2i-cultured EG cells for contributing to chimeras and germline transmission.
- To establish EG cell derivation from rats under 2i conditions.
Main Methods:
- Culturing mouse and rat primordial germ cells in defined medium with 2i and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF).
- Assessing EG cell derivation efficiency, self-renewal capacity, and pluripotency markers.
- Evaluating the contribution of derived EG cells to chimeras, including germline contribution.
Main Results:
- High-efficiency derivation of mouse EG cells using 2i-LIF, without needing FGF or SCF.
- Successful derivation of rat EG cells using 2i-LIF for the first time.
- Derived mouse and rat EG cells contributed extensively to chimeras, including germline transmission, and exhibited diploid karyotypes and genetic manipulability.
Conclusions:
- Dual inhibition (2i) effectively supports the derivation and self-renewal of both mouse and rat embryonic germ (EG) cells.
- EG cells derived under 2i conditions are pluripotent and capable of extensive chimera contribution and germline transmission.
- These findings support a conserved molecular ground state in pluripotent rodent cells, with primordial germ cells potentially being a valuable source for naïve pluripotent stem cells.
Related Concept Videos
01:14Maintenance of the ES Cell State
The cells of the blastocyst inner cell mass only remain pluripotent for a short time. This state of pluripotency and self-renewal can be maintained in embryonic stem (ES) cell culture by adding specific chemicals or growth factors to ensure the cells can continue dividing and later differentiate into different cell types. In some cases, the cells are grown on a feeder layer of differentiated cells, which provides the growth factors and extracellular matrix components necessary for stem cell...
00:57Embryonic Stem Cells
Embryonic stem (ES) cells were first discovered in mice in 1981 by Martin Evans. In 1998, James Thomson identified a method to isolate embryonic stem cells from humans. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are obtained from 3-5 day old embryos that remain unused after an in vitro fertilization procedure.
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...
00:58Embryonic Stem Cells
Embryonic stem (ES) cells are undifferentiated pluripotent cells, meaning they can produce any cell type in the body. This gives them tremendous potential in science and medicine since they can generate specific cell types for use in research or to replace body cells lost due to damage or disease.
01:10Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation
The development of all multicellular organisms starts with the fusion of haploid cells called sperm and egg to form a diploid zygote. A zygote is a totipotent cell that can develop into a complete organism. The zygote undergoes cell division or cleavage to form an 8-cell mass. Until this stage, the cells are spherical, loosely attached, and remain totipotent. Totipotent cells are capable of developing both the embryonic and the extraembryonic tissues. However, as they continue to divide, they...
01:27Source And Potency Of Stem Cells
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells with extensive self-renewal properties that help them maintain their population during the fetal and adult stages of life. They can specialize in all cell types of the human body. However, their differential potential may vary and can be classified into five types. Stem cells can be (1) Totipotent, (2) Pluripotent, (3) Multipotent, (4) Oligopotent, and (5) Unipotent. Each stem cell has a specific origin; the fertilized egg or zygote is a totipotent cell and...
01:56Gastrulation
Gastrulation establishes the three primary tissues of an embryo: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. This developmental process relies on a series of intricate cellular movements, which in humans transforms a flat, “bilaminar disc” composed of two cell sheets into a three-tiered structure. In the resulting embryo, the endoderm serves as the bottom layer, and stacked directly above it is the intermediate mesoderm, and then the uppermost ectoderm. Respectively, these tissue strata will form...