Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the embryonic precursors of the germ cell lineage that form sperm and egg cells. It is of great importance to preserve the germline from DNA damage and potentially from epimutations in order to ensure the survival of future generations. Recent research highlights the role of the protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) as an important player in DNA protectio...

Fizzy-related 1 (FZR1) is an activator of the Anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) and an important regulator of the mitotic cell division cycle. Using a germ-cell-specific conditional knockout model we examined its role in entry into meiosis and early meiotic events in both sexes. Loss of APC/C(FZR1) activity in the male germline led to both a mitotic and a meiotic testicular defect re...

In many species, primordial germ cells (PGCs) migrate from the position where they are specified to the site where the gonad develops, where they differentiate into sperm and egg. Germ cells thus serve as an excellent model for studying cell migration in the context of the live organism. In recent years, a number of cues directing the migration of the cells towards their target were identified ...

Testicular germ cell tumours (TGCT) account for between 1% and 1.5% of male neoplasms and 5% of urological tumours in general. They are classified broadly into Seminoma, which resemble primordial germ cells (PGCs), and Non-Seminoma, which are either undifferentiated (embryonal carcinoma) or differentiated (exhibiting a degree of embryonic (teratoma) or extra-embryonic (yolk sac choriocarcinoma)...

Germ cell development and primordial follicle formation during fetal life is critical in establishing the pool of oocytes that subsequently determines the reproductive lifespan of women. Fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI) is caused by inheritance of the FMR1 premutation allele and approximately 20% of women with the premutation allele develop ovarian dysfunction and prem...