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Research on development and sex differentiation of mouse fetal germ cells

Research Project

Project/Area Number 11234201
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Review Section Biological Sciences
Research InstitutionKYOTO UNIVERSITY

Principal Investigator

NAKATSUJI Norio  Kyoto University, Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Professor, 再生医科学研究所, 教授 (80237312)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) NOCE Toshiaki  Mitsubishi-kagaku Institute of Life Science, Senior Scientist, 主任研究員
Project Period (FY) 1999 – 2002
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2002)
Budget Amount *help
¥153,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥153,000,000)
Fiscal Year 2002: ¥37,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥37,400,000)
Fiscal Year 2001: ¥37,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥37,500,000)
Fiscal Year 2000: ¥38,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥38,100,000)
Fiscal Year 1999: ¥40,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥40,000,000)
KeywordsPrimordial germ cells / tudor gene / vasa gene / spermatogenesis / germ cell development / meiosis / germ plasm / nuage / 性分化 / 精巣 / Vasa遺伝子
Research Abstract

Mouse primordial germ cells (PGCs) migrate from the base of allantois to the genital ridge. They proliferate during the migration and after the arrival until initiation of the sex-differentiation of fetal gonads. Then, PGCS enter into the prophase of the first meiotic division in the ovary to become oocytes, while those in the testis become mitotically arrested to become prospermatogonia. Relatively little was known : about differentiation of PGCs into oocytes or prospermatogonia in fetal gonads. Observation of ectopic germ cells and studies of cultured PGCs have indicated that both male and female PGCs show cell-autonomous entry into meiosis and differentiation into oocytes if they were not in the fetal testis.
We showed that both female and male PGCs isolated from the fetal gonads immediately after their arrival, or those isolated from the mesenteries at 9.5-10.5 dpc during their migration, entered into the leptotene stage of the first meiotic division after dissociation and cultivati … More on for a few days on feeder cells, thus showing that meiotic competence is already acquired by PGCs before reaching the fetal gonads. We also demonstrated that the LIF/gp130-mediated signal suppressed the meiotic transition by PGCs in vitro.
Apoptosis is another remarkable event in the fetal germ cells. We investigated regulation of the germ cell apoptosis by using a mouse strain in which bcl-x gene was disrupted. Analysis of heterozygotic embryos and mice revealed that prospermatogonia are more prone to apoptosis than oocytes. Such differences appeared at the beginning of sex-differentiation of germ cells.
We also investigated the mouse tudor-related gene, mtr-1, in mouse male germ cells. It is expressed in the prospermatogonia in fetal testis and more abundantly in spermatocytes in adult testes. In mice, nuage structures called chromatoid bodies appear during postnatal spermatogenesis rather than during germ-line specification. Previously, a mouse homologue of vasa, one of the Drosophila polar granule components, has been identified. Its product was present in chromatoid bodies, and the targeted disruption of the gene showed defects in postnatal spermatogenesis. TUDOR is another component of polar granules in Drosophila, and it contains ten repeated copies of the tudor domain. We have identified a novel mtr-1 gene that encodes four repeated copies of the tudor domain. Mtr-1 expression was restricted to germ-line cells, and the transcript was most abundant in spermatocytes in the adult testis. The MTR-1 protein was present predominantly in spermatocytes and round spermatids, showing granular distribution in the cytoplasm. These granules co-localized precisely with those of cytoplasmic ribonucleoproteins, and they were present exclusively in both the inter-mitochondrial nuages and perinuclear chromatoid bodies. Less

Report

(5 results)
  • 2002 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 2001 Annual Research Report
  • 2000 Annual Research Report
  • 1999 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (36 results)

All Other

All Publications (36 results)

  • [Publications] Kanno, Y., Tamura, M., Chuma, S., Sakurai, T., Machida, T., Nakatsuji, N.: "A cystatin-related gene, testatin/cresp, shows male-specific expression in germ and somatic cells from the initial stage of murine gonadal sex-differentiation"Int. J. Dev. Biol.. 43. 777-784 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Tada, T., Obata, Y., Tada, M., Goto, Y., Nakatsuji, N., Tan, S.-S., Kono, T., Takagi, N.: "Imprint switching for non-random X-chromosome inactivation during mouse oocyte growth"Development.. 127. 3101-3105 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Huang, Z., Tamura, M., Sakurai, T., Chuma, S., Saito, T., Nakatsuji, N.: "In vivo transfection of testicular germ cells and transgenenis by using the mitochondrially localized jellyfish fluorescent protein gene"FEBS Lett.. 487. 248-251 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] S.S.Tanaka, Y Toyooka, R.Akasu, Y.Katoh-Fukui, Y.Nakahara, R.Suzuki, M.Yokoyama, T.Noce.: "Mouse homolog gene to Drosophila Vasa is required for the male germ cells"Genes & Dev.. 14. 841-853 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Y.Toyooka, N.Tsunekawa, Y.Takahashi, Y Matsui, M.Satoh, T.Noce.: "Expression and intracellular localizationof mouse Vasa-homolog protein during germ cell development"Mech. Dev.. 93. 139-149 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Chuma, S., Nakatsuji, N.: "Autonomous transition into meiosis of mouse fetal germ cells in vitro and its inhibition by gp130-mediated signaling"Devel. Biol.. 229. 468-479 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Nakatsuji, N., Chuma, S.: "Differentiation of mouse primordial germ cells into female or male germ cells"Int. J. Dev. Biol.. 45. 541-548 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Tamura, M., Kanno, Y, Chuma, S., Saito, T., Nakatsuji, N.: "Pod-1/Capsulin shows a sex-and stage-dependent expression pattern in the mouse gonad development and represses expression of Ad4BP/SF-1"Mech. Devel.. 102. 135-144 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] T.Noce, S.Okamoto, N.Tsunekawa.: "Vasa homolog genes in mammalian germ cell development."Cell Struc. & Func.. 26. 131-136 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Hasegawa, K., Nakatsuji, N.: "Insulators prevent transcriptional interference between two promoters in a double gene construct for transgenesis"EBBS Left.. 520. 47-52 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 中馬新一郎, 中辻憲夫: "胎仔生殖系列細胞の発生と操作"遺伝子医学. 4. 264-268 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 中辻憲夫(編): "実験医学別冊 ポストゲノム時代の実験講座4 幹細胞・クローン研究プロトコール"羊土社. 254 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Kanno, Y., Tamura, M., Chuma, S., Sakurai, T., Machida, T. and Nakatsuji, N.: "A cystatin-related gene, testatin/cresp, shows male-specific expression in germ and somatic cells from the initial stage of murine gonadal sex-differentiation"Int. J. Dev. Biol. 43. 777-784 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Tada, T., Obata, Y., Tada, M., Goto, Y., Nakatsuji, N., Tan, S.-S., Kono, T. and Takagi, N.: "Imprint switching for non-random X-choromosome inactivation during mouse oocyte growth"Development. 127. 3101-3105 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Huang, Z., Tamura, M., Sakurai, T., Chuma, S., Saito, T., and Nakatsuji, N.: "In vivo transfection of testicular germ cells and transgenenis by using the mitochondrially localized jellyfish fluorescent protein gene"FEBS Lett. 487. 248-251 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] S. S. Tanaka, Y. Toyooka, R. Akasu, Y. Katoh-Fukui, Y. Nakahara, R. Suzuki, M. Yokoyama and T. Noce: "Mouse homolog gene to Drosophila Vasa is required for the development of male germ cells"Genes & Dev.. 14. 841-853 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Y. Toyooka, N. Tsunekawa, Y. Takahashi, Y. Matsui, M. Satoh and T. Noce: "Expression and intracellular localization of mouse Vasa-homolog protein during germ cell development"Mech. Dev.. 93. 139-149 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Chuma, S. and Nakatsuji, N.: "Autonomous transition into meiosis of mouse fetal germ cells in vitro and its inhibition by gp130-mediated signaling."Devel. Biol.. 229. 468-479 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Nakatsuji, N. and Chuma, S.: "Differentiation of mouse primordial germ cells into female or male germ cells"Int. J. Dev. Biol.. 45. 541-548 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Tamura, M., Kanno, Y., Chuma, S., Saito, T., and Nakatsuji, N.: "Pod-1/Capsulin shows a sex- and stage-dependent expression pattern in the mouse gonad development and represses expression of Ad4BP/SF-1"Mech. Devel.. 102. 135-144 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] T. Noce, S. Okamoto, and N. Tsunekawa: "Vasa homolog genes in mammalian germ cell development"Cell Struc. & Func.. 26. 131-136 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Hasegawa, K. and Nakatsuji, N.: "Insulators prevent transcriptional interference between two promoters in a double gene construct for transgenesis"FEBS Lett.. 520. 47-52 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Chuma, S., Nakatsuji, N.: "Development and manipulation of fetal germ cells"Idenshi-igaku. 4. 264-268 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Nakatsuji, N. (editor): "Stem cells and cloning research protocols , Jikken-igaku-bessatsu, Post-genome jidai no jikken kouza"Yodosha. 4 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Hasegawa, K., Nakatsuji, N.: "Insulators prevent transcriptional interference between two promoters in a double gene construct for transgenesis"FEBS Lett.. 520. 47-52 (2002)

    • Related Report
      2002 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Kimura, H., Tada, M., Hatano, S., Yamazaki, M., Nakatsuji, N., Tada, T.: "Chromatin reprogramming of male somatic cell-derived Xist and Tsix in ES hybrid cells"Cytogenetic and Genome Research. (In press).

    • Related Report
      2002 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Tamura, M., Kanno, Y., Chuma, S., Saito, T., Nakatsuji, N.: "Pod-1/Capsulin shows a sex-and stage-dependent expression pattern in the mouse gonad development and represses expression of Ad4BP/SF-1"Mech. Devel.. 102. 135-144 (2001)

    • Related Report
      2001 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Nakatsuji, N., Chuma, S.: "Differentiation of mouse primordial germ cells into female or male germ cells"Int. J. Dev. Biol.. 45. 541-548 (2001)

    • Related Report
      2001 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Noce, T., S.Okamoto-Ito, N.Tsunekawa: "Vasa homolog genes in mammalian germ cell development"Cell Struct & Func. 26. 127-132 (2001)

    • Related Report
      2001 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Kanno,Y.,Tamura,M.,Chuma,S.,Sakurai,T.,Machida,T.and Nakatsuji,N.: "A cystatin-related gene, testatin/cresp, shows male-specific expression in germ and somatic cells from the initial stage of murine gonadal sex-differentiation."Int.J.Dev.Biol.. 43. 777-784 (1999)

    • Related Report
      2000 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 中馬新一郎,中辻憲夫: "胎仔生殖系列細胞の発生と操作"遺伝子医学. 4. 264-268 (2000)

    • Related Report
      2000 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Chuma,S.and Nakatsuji,N: "Autonomous transition into meiosis of mouse fetal germ cells in vitro and its inhibition by gp130-mediated signaling. "Devel.Biol.. 229. 468-479 (2001)

    • Related Report
      2000 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Nakatsuji, N.and Chuma,S.: "Differentiation of mouse primordial germ cells into female or male germ cells."Int.J.Dev.Biol.. (In Press). (2001)

    • Related Report
      2000 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Tamura,M.,Kanno,Y.,Chuma,S.,Wakana,S.Saito,T.,Shirayoshi,Y.and Nakatsuji,N.: "A basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor gene, nephgonadin, isolated by differential screening of the male and female fetal gonads shows a sex-and stagedependent expression pattern in the gonad development."Mech.Devel.. (In Press). (2001)

    • Related Report
      2000 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Kanno, Y.: "Acystatin-related gene, testain/cresp, shows male-specific expression in germ and somatic cells from the initial stage of murine gonadal sex-differentiation"International Journal of Developmental Biology. 43. 777-784 (1999)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 中辻憲夫: "始原生殖細胞"岩波講座「現代医学の基礎」. 5巻. 2-8 (1999)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report

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Published: 1999-04-01   Modified: 2018-03-28  

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