Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are germ cell progenitors in the fetal genital ridge; female PGCs give rise to definitive oocytes that contribute to the next generation. Artificial PGCs have been induced in vitro from pluripotent stem cells and gonad-like tissue has been induced in vivo by cotransplantation of PGCs with PGC-free gonadal cells. To apply these technologies to human infertility treatment or conservation of rare species, PGC transplantation must be established in xenogenic animals. Here, we established a xenogeneic transplantation model by inducing ovary-like tissue from PGCs in xenogenic animals. We transplanted enzymatically dispersed PGCs with PGC-free gonadal cells under the kidney capsule of xenogenic immunodeficient animals. The transplanted cells formed ovary-like tissues under the kidney capsule. These tissues were histologically similar to the normal gonad and expressed the oocyte markers Vasa and Stella. In addition, mouse germinal vesicle-stage oocyte-like cells collected from ovary-like tissue in rats matured to metaphase II via in vitro maturation and gave rise to offspring by intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Our studies show that rat/mouse female PGCs and PGC-free gonadal cells can develop and reconstruct ovary-like tissue containing functional oocytes in an ectopic xenogenic microenvironment.
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27 August 2014
Generation of Mouse Functional Oocytes in Rat by Xeno-Ectopic Transplantation of Primordial Germ Cells
Tomonari Hayama,
Tomoyuki Yamaguchi,
Megumi Kato-Itoh,
Sanae Hamanaka,
Mami Kawarai,
Makoto Sanbo,
Chihiro Tamura,
Youn-Su Lee,
Ayaka Yanagida,
Hideyuki Murayama,
Naoaki Mizuno,
Ayumi Umino,
Hideyuki Sato,
Satoshi Yamazaki,
Hideki Masaki,
Toshihiro Kobayashi,
Masumi Hirabayashi,
Hiromitsu Nakauchi
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Biology of Reproduction
Vol. 91 • No. 4
October 2014
Vol. 91 • No. 4
October 2014
oocyte
ovary-like tissue
PGC
xeno-ectopic transplantation