小鼠精原干细胞在三种培养基中的生长行为

目的：建立小鼠精原干细胞（SSCs）的体外长期培养体系。方法：用分别添加了等量的胶质细胞源神经营养因子（GDNF）、可溶性GFRα1和hFGF的DMEM／F12、KSR和StemPro-34 SFM三种无血清培养基和MEF饲养层分别培养经差异贴壁分选富集的小鼠SSCs,通过形态观察、标志基因的RT-PCR和免疫细胞化学分析检测其SSCs本原。结果：DMEM／F12与KSR可支持小鼠SSCs在体外存活6-7d,而StemPro-34 SFM能能维持SSCs体外增值一个月。结论：StemPro-34 SFM支持小鼠SSCs的体外增殖。     

睾丸支持细胞对精原干细胞发育的调节

精原干细胞(spermatogonial stem cells,SSCs)是位于睾丸曲精小管基膜上既能自我更新,又能定向分化的一类原始精原细胞.鉴于其独具的生物学特性,SSCs研究在干细胞生物学、医学、畜牧业等领域均具有重要意义,但目前有关其更新、分化的调控机制仍不清楚.干细胞的发育受其外部特定发育环境及其内在因素的综合调控.最近以睾丸支持细胞为主要结构组分的发育环境对SSCs行为的调控研究备受关注且取得快速进展.综合相关报道,主要就哺乳动物睾丸支持细胞对SSCs更新、分化的调节进行了评述,以期为本领域及其他干细胞研究提供借鉴.     

以支持细胞为饲养层培养小鼠精原干细胞

为探索精原干细胞(Spermatogonialstemcells,SSCs)体外自增殖的条件以及SSCs体外快速扩增的方法,以6-8日龄昆明乳鼠为材料,分离小鼠睾丸细胞,采用Percoll梯度离心法富集SSCs;以经丝裂霉素C处理的Sertoli细胞作饲养层,以DMEM为基本培养基,加入5%胎牛血清和103u/ml的白血病抑制因子(Leukemiainhibitoryfactor,LIF),体外培养SSCs;运用免疫荧光技术,以SSCs特异性表面分子Thy1为标志,对原代培养20d和传代培养14d的细胞进行鉴定。该培养体系下,SSCs贴壁时间为6h-9h,48h后可见细胞分裂,迅速增殖出现在接种12d以后。接种后第20d形成数十至上百个细胞的细胞团,细胞总数比接种时增加了45-245倍,100倍显微镜下观察可见,单位视野内细胞团数为26±4个。传代后细胞增殖较快。原代培养20d和传代培养14d的细胞均为Thy1阳性;而传代20d后,细胞周缘不整,有伪足出现,呈现出死亡迹象。该培养条比较适合SSCs短期快速增殖。     

过表达水牛睾丸FGF2基因维持水牛精原细胞的体外培养

水牛睾丸支持细胞(Sertoli cells)是环绕在精原干细胞(spermatogonial stem cells,SSCs)周围的一类体细胞,为SSCs增殖提供物理支持及稳定的环境,同时参与血睾屏障形成.支持细胞可分泌FGF2,从而提高SSCs存活和增殖.至今为止,水牛SSCs培养体系仍然面临许多挑战,推测内源性的...     

哺乳动物精原干细胞体外分离培养研究进展

精原干细胞(spermatogonial stem cells,SSCs)作为成体干细胞的一种,具有高度自我更新和分化潜能。近几年研究发现,SSCs的体外培养是表观遗传基础研究、精子发生机制深入探索以及治疗雄性不育的基础条件。本文根据国内外SSCs相关研究,对哺乳动物SSCs的生物学特性、体外分离培养和鉴定等作一综述,以期为哺乳动物SSCs和其他干细胞的长期体外培养以及建系提供一定的借鉴。     

牛精原干细胞体外分化潜能的分析

家畜精原干细胞操作的核心技术是精原干细胞(spermatogonial stem cells,SSCs)的长期培养。至今家畜精原干细胞的长期培养方法还没有完善。其中的一个原因是缺乏简便有效的家畜精原干细胞生物活性鉴定手段。该研究的目的是建立一种牛精原干细胞生理潜能的体外分析方法,用于体外培养的牛精原干细胞的生物活性鉴定。首先培养牛精原干细胞,进而用干细胞因子(stem cell factor,SCF)对体外长期培养的牛精原干细胞进行诱导分化。在诱导分化过程中对细胞进行显微观察,并且用免疫荧光染色法鉴定分化的细胞。观察结果显示,经过诱导培养8 d后,牛精原干细胞形态发生了明显改变;细胞的运动行为显示出精母细胞特有的特征。免疫荧光染色结果显示,分化的细胞表达精母细胞的标记基因Scp3。上述结果例证了体外培养的牛精原干细胞具有分化为精母细胞的潜能。该研究建立了牛SSCs体外诱导分化的分析方法,用于鉴定体外培养的牛SSCs的生理潜能。但是体外诱导培养条件不能满足牛SSCs减数分裂的全部要求,导致出现一些不完全符合精母细胞特征的现象。诱导分化培养液尚需改进。     

小鼠精原干细胞与胚胎干细胞样细胞

近年来,通过培养小鼠精原干细胞(spermatogonial stem cells,SSCs)获得了胚胎干细胞样细胞(,embryonic stem cell-like cells,ES样细胞).这些研究表明小鼠精原干细胞不仅具备特异分化为精子的干细胞潜能,而且具备胚胎干细胞(embryonic stem cell,ES)分化为三胚层的多向分化潜能.因此.这将有助于研究干细胞的分化调控机制,并且这些研究成果延伸至人类精原干细胞,也将为再生医学获取特殊的胚胎干细胞样细胞或特异分化的精子细胞开辟了蹊径.     

精原干细胞微环境研究进展

精原干细胞(spermatogonia stem cells, SSCs)是一类在睾丸中具有长期自我更新和分化潜能的生殖细胞(germ cells, GCs),即位于基底膜上的组织干细胞,其自我更新和分化受到周围微环境的调控。近年来对SSCs的研究取得了一系列重要进展,为临床治疗部分男性不育患者带来了曙光。其中,微环境对SSCs的调节功能的研究尤为重要,微环境负责整合不同类型的细胞成分、细胞外基质、细胞外调节分子及激素等对SSCs的作用,从而调节SSCs命运。关于SSCs微环境的研究已开始逐步成为干细胞研究的主要内容之一。本文主要对小鼠(Mus musculus)SSCs微环境的细胞组成、调控因子以及特点等研究现状进行了综述,为深入研究SSCs微环境的结构和功能提供背景资料,希望在未来能够通过多种研究模式复用,发现更为丰富的细胞表型和微环境因子。     

精原干细胞自我更新和分化的调控

精原干细胞（spermatogonial stem cells,SSCs）是体内自然状态下惟一能将遗传信息传至子代的成体干细胞,它们能通过维持自我更新和分化的稳定从而保证雄性生命过程中精子发生的持续进行。了解SSCs自我更新和分化的调节机制有助于阐明精子发生机理,并为探究其他组织中成体干细胞增殖分化的调节机制提供依据。然而目前对于SSCs自我更新和分化的调控机制所知甚少。SSCs的更新与分化遵循特定模式,受以睾丸支持细胞为主要成分的微环境及各种内分泌因素如胶质细胞源神经营养因子（GDNF）、维生素、Ets转录因子ERM/Etv5等的调控。本文评述了SSCs更新与分化的模式以及上述因素对其更新、分化的调控,探讨了其中可能涉及的信号通路,以期为本领域及其他成体干细胞相关研究提供借鉴。     

精原干细胞技术研究进展

精原干细胞(spermatogonial stem cells,SSCs)是位于睾丸曲细精管基膜上能自我更新和连续分化产生精子的最原始精原细胞,是雄性体内唯一能将遗传信息自然传至子代并可终生复制的双倍体细胞,对复杂的精子发生过程有着至关重要的作用。作为一个未分化细胞群体,SSCs在精子生成和物种进化所必需的基因传递中发挥作用。基于课题组多年的研究,该文较系统地评述了SSCs的生物学特性、分离富集、体外培养影响因素和移植技术等方面的进展,以期对雄性辅助生殖、细胞再生治疗、畜牧业生产等研究应用提供借鉴。     

Establishment of Alternative Culture Method for Spermatogonial Stem Cells Using Knockout Serum Replacement

Since spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are capable of both self-renewal and differentiation to daughter cells for subsequent spermatogenesis, the development of an efficient in vitro culture system is essential for studies related to spermatogenesis. Although the currently available system is serum-free and contains only chemically-defined components, it highly relies upon bovine serum albumin (BSA), a component with batch-to-batch quality variations similar to those of fetal bovine serum. Thus, we searched for an alternative BSA-free culture system that preserved the properties of SSCs. In this study, we utilized Knockout Serum Replacement (KSR) in the SSC culture medium, as a substitute for BSA. The results demonstrated that KSR supported the continuous growth of SSCs in vitro and the SSC activity in vivo without BSA, in a feeder-cell combination with mouse embryonic fibroblasts. The addition of BSA to KSR further facilitated cell cycle progression, whereas a transplantation assay revealed that the addition of BSA did not affect the number of SSCs in vivo. The combination of KSR with BSA also allowed the elimination of GFRA1 and FGF2, and the reduction of the GDNF concentration from 20 ng/ml to 5 ng/ml, while maintaining the growth rate and the expression of SSC markers. Furthermore, KSR was also useful with SSCs from non-DBA/2 strains, such as C57BL/6 and ICR. These results suggested that KSR is an effective substitute for BSA for long-term in vitro cultures of SSCs. Therefore, this method is practical for various studies related to SSCs, including spermatogenesis and germ stem cell biology.     

Sertoli细胞饲养层对小鼠精原干细胞增殖的影响

摘要 目的 以小鼠睾丸支持细胞(Sertoli)为饲养层,小鼠胚胎成纤维细胞(STO) 饲养层做对照,研究它对小鼠精原干细胞增殖的影响。方法 用无血清StemPro-34 SFM培养基培养2～5日龄小鼠精原干细胞,分别用相差显微镜观察,免疫组化法研究Sertoli饲养层对精原干细胞生物学行为的影响。结果 发现精原干细胞在Sertoli及STO两种饲养层上的一周内的生物学行为非常相似,但培养1周后,Sertoli细胞作饲养层的培养体系中保留的精原干细胞要比对照组明显增多,约有30%的精原干细胞能存活下来并能维持存活到60d以上。结论 Sertoli细胞作饲养层明显促进精原干细胞的更新增殖。     

Cryopreserving and Recovering of Human iPS Cells using Complete KnockOut Serum Replacement Feeder-Free Medium

The discovery in 2006 that human and mouse fibroblasts could be reprogrammed to generate iPS cells ^1-3 with qualities remarkably similar to embryonic stem cells has created a valuable new source of pluripotent cells for drug discovery, cell therapy, and basic research.GIBCO media and reagents have been at the forefront of pluripotent stem cell research for years. Knockout DMEM supplemented with Knockout Serum Replacement is the media of choice for embryonic stem cell growth and now iPS cell culture ^3-9. This gold standard media system can now be used for feeder-free culture with the addition of Knockout SR Growth Factor Cocktail.Traditional human ES and iPS cell culture methods require the use of mouse or human fibroblast feeder layers, or feeder-conditioned medium. These culture methods are labor-intensive, hard to scale and it is difficult to maintain hiPS cells undifferentiated due to the undefined conditions. Invitrogen has developed Knockout SR Growth Factor Cocktail to allow you to easily transition your hiPS and hES cell cultures to feeder-free while still maintaining your use of Knockout SR.Download video file.^{(42M, mov)}     

Feeder-Free Adaptation,Culture and Passaging of Human IPS Cells using Complete KnockOut Serum Replacement Feeder-Free Medium

The discovery in 2006 that human and mouse fibroblasts could be reprogrammed to generate iPS cells ^1-3 with qualities remarkably similar to embryonic stem cells has created a valuable new source of pluripotent cells for drug discovery, cell therapy, and basic research.GIBCO media and reagents have been at the forefront of pluripotent stem cell research for years. Knockout DMEM supplemented with Knockout Serum Replacement is the media of choice for embryonic stem cell growth and now iPS cell culture ^3-9. This gold standard media system can now be used for feeder-free culture with the addition of Knockout SR Growth Factor Cocktail.Traditional human ES and iPS cell culture methods require the use of mouse or human fibroblast feeder layers, or feeder-conditioned medium. These culture methods are labor-intensive, hard to scale and it is difficult to maintain hiPS cells undifferentiated due to the undefined conditions. Invitrogen has developed Knockout SR Growth Factor Cocktail to allow you to easily transition your hiPS cell cultures to feeder-free while still maintaining your use of Knockout SR.Download video file.^{(52M, mov)}     

Culture conditions and single growth factors affect fate determination of mouse spermatogonial stem cells

Cell fate determination between self-renewal or differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) in the testis is precisely regulated to maintain normal spermatogenesis. However, the mechanisms underlying the process remain elusive. To address the problem, we developed a model SSC culture system, first, by establishing techniques to obtain enriched populations of stem cells, and second, by establishing a serum-free culture medium. Flow cytometric cell sorting and the SSC transplantation assay demonstrated that Thy-1 is a unique surface marker of SSCs in neonatal, pup, and adult testes of the mouse. Although the surface phenotype of SSCs is major histocompatibility complex class I(-) Thy-1(+) alpha 6-integrin(+) alpha v-integrin(-/dim) throughout postnatal life, the most enriched population of SSCs was obtained from cryptorchid adult testes by cell-sorting techniques based on Thy-1 expression. This enriched population of SSCs was used to develop a culture system that consisted of serum-free defined medium and STO (SIM mouse embryo-derived thioguanine and ouabain resistant) feeders, which routinely maintained stem cell activity for 1 wk. Combining the culture system and the transplantation assay provided a mechanism to study the effect of single growth factors. A negative effect was demonstrated for several concentrations of basic fibroblast growth factor and leukemia inhibitory factor, whereas glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and stem cell factor appeared to have a positive effect on stem cell maintenance. The stem cell enrichment strategies and the culture methods described provide a reproducible and powerful assay system to establish the effect of various environmental factors on SSC survival and replication in vitro.     

大鼠精原干细胞的微滴培养法

精原干细胞（spermatogonial stem cells,SSCs）作为成体干细胞的一类,既具有自我更新和分化的潜能,又可向子代传递遗传信息。阐明其增殖过程及分化特性对SSCs的进一步应用具有重要意义。小鼠SSCs的微滴培养研究显示,微滴培养技术与常规培养方法相比具有独特的优势。然而其他物种的SSCs能否实现微滴培养尚有待证实。该研究旨在利用微滴培养法建立大鼠SSCs体外培养技术。5、8、10、20、40个大鼠SSCs分别置于20此微滴中培养,用丝裂霉素处理的STO细胞作为滋养层。倒置显微镜观察记录大鼠SSCs的增殖状态。一个月后,对微滴培养的SSCs进行免疫荧光双标记染色鉴定。结果显示,一个微滴内接种5个SSCs就能实现扩增培养;培养一个月后,SSC仍然表达其特异的标记基因分子如CDH1、OCT4、PLZF、Thy1和Gfra1。体外诱导分析显示,微滴培养的大鼠SSCs具有分化为精母细胞的能力。大鼠SSCs微滴培养法的建立,为其他物种SSCs的培养提供了借鉴,也为再生医学和生命科学相关领域的研究提供了技术平台。     

Oocyte-like Cells Induced from Mouse Spermatogonial Stem Cells

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: During normal development primordial germ cells (PGCs) derived from the epiblast are the precursors of spermatogonia and oogonia. In culture, PGCs can be induced to dedifferentiate to pluripotent embryonic germ (EG) cells in the presence of various growth factors. Several recent studies have now demonstrated that spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) can also revert back to pluripotency as embryonic stem (ES)-like cells under certain culture conditions. However, the potential dedifferentiation of SSCs into PGCs or the potential generation of oocytes from SSCs has not been demonstrated before. RESULTS: We report that mouse male SSCs can be converted into oocyte-like cells in culture. These SSCs-derived oocytes (SSC-Oocs) were similar in size to normal mouse mature oocytes. They expressed oocyte-specific markers and give rise to embryos through parthenogenesis. Interestingly, the Y- and X-linked testis-specific genes in these SSC-Oocs were significantly down-regulated or turned off, while oocyte-specific X-linked genes were activated. The gene expression profile appeared to switch to that of the oocyte across the X chromosome. Furthermore, these oocyte-like cells lost paternal imprinting but acquired maternal imprinting. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that SSCs might maintain the potential to be reprogrammed into oocytes with corresponding epigenetic reversals. This study provides not only further evidence for the remarkable plasticity of SSCs but also a potential system for dissecting molecular and epigenetic regulations in germ cell fate determination and imprinting establishment during gametogenesis.     

E-cadherin can be expressed by a small population of rat undifferentiated spermatogonia in vivo and in vitro

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) maintain gamete production in the testes throughout adult life by balancing self-renewal and differentiation. In vitro culture of SSCs is a crucial technique for gene manipulation of SSCs to generate transgenic animals, for transplantation of SSCs to restore male fertility for infertile man, and for generation of pluripotent stem cells from SSCs to differentiate into various cell lineages. Isolation of highly purified SSCs is an all-important component for development of these techniques. However, definitive markers for SSCs, which purify SSCs (100% enrichment), are unknown. SSCs of many species can colonize the mouse testis; thus, we reasoned that same molecules of SSCs are conserved between species. In mouse, undifferentiated spermatogonia express the surface marker E-cadherin. The hypothesis tested in this work was that E-cadherin (also known as CDH1) can be expressed by undifferentiated spermatogonia of rat testes. In this paper, cross-section immunohistochemistry and whole-mount immunohistochemistry of rat seminiferous tubules were conducted to show that E-cadherin-positive cells were small in number and there are single, paired, and aligned spermatogonia attached along the basement membrane. During in vitro culture period, the undifferentiated rat spermatogonial colonies co-expressed E-cadherin and glial-derived neurotrophic factor family receptor alpha-1 or E-cadherin and promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger. Data collected during the study demonstrate that E-cadherin is expressed by a small population of rat undifferentiated spermatogonia both in vivo and during in vitro culture period.     

Effects of GDNF and LIF on mouse spermatogonial stem cells proliferation in vitro

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are the only type of cells that transmit genes to the subsequent generations. The proliferation, cultivation and identification of SSCs in vitro are critical to understanding of male infertility, genetic resources and conservation of endangered species. To investigate the effects of glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) on the proliferation of mouse SSCs in vitro, supplement of GDNF and/or LIF were designed to culture SSCs. The testes of 6–8 d mouse were harvested and digested by two-step enzyme digestion method. The SSCs and Sertoli cells were separated by differential plating. Then the SSCs were identified by alkaline phosphatase staining, RT-PCR and indirect immunofluorescence cell analysis. The cellular proliferation capacity was measured by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay. The results showed that addition of 20 and 40 ng/ml of GDNF could strongly promote growth of mouse SSCs (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between LIF treatment groups and the control group in promoting proliferation of the mouse SSCs (p > 0.05). However, the combination of 20 ng/ml GDNF and 1,000 U/ml LIF could significantly enhance the invitro proliferation of mouse SSCs (p < 0.05), and the OD₄₉₀ value was 0.696 at day 5 of culture when the density of SSCs was 5–10 × 10⁴ cells/ml.