Germ cell death occurs in many species [1-3] and has been proposed as a mechanism by which the fittest, strongest, or least damaged germ cells are selected for transmission to the next generation. However, little is known about how the choice is made between germ cell survival and death. Here, we focus on the mechanisms that regulate germ cell survival during embryonic development in Drosophila...

Elucidating the critical epigenetics events involved in differentiation and reprogramming of cells to primordial germ cells (PGCs) is among the interesting issues in stem cell research. Here, I will talk about critical transcription factors and global hypomethylation in development of germ cells. Evidence strongly suggests that the earliest PGCs emerging in the E7.25 mouse embryo epiblast have...

Introduction: Germ cell tumors account for 3.5 % of pediatric and yolk sac are the most common pure malignant germ in children. Testis ovary sites involvement children older than 2 years. Case Presentation: A 20-month-old boy with a complaint limping was described this case report. Abdominal ultrasonography showed 52 × 50 mm solid abdominal mass. pelvic computed tomography scans left paraspinal...

a key factor in spermatogenesis and disorders associated with this protein have been recognized to be related to male infertility. although it was suggested that this protein could have different functions during germ cell development, no studies have been conducted to uncover the mechanism of this potential function yet. here, we analyzed the expression pattern of rbmy protein isoforms in test...

Recently, cell signaling has been shown to be required for the formation of germ cells in the mouse embryo, direct observation of germ cell migration in living mouse embryos has been achieved, novel genes that control germ-cell migration have been identified in Drosophila, and the roles of many components of germ plasm in several species have become clearer.

DNA methylation is necessary for the silencing of endogenous retrotransposons and the maintenance of monoallelic gene expression at imprinted loci and on the X chromosome. Dynamic changes in DNA methylation occur during the initial stages of primordial germ cell development; however, all consequences of this epigenetic reprogramming are not understood. DNA demethylation in postmigratory primord...

During germ cell development, epigenetic modifications undergo extensive remodeling. Abnormal epigenetic modifications usually result in germ cell loss and reproductive defect. Prmt5 (Protein arginine methyltransferase 5) encodes a protein arginine methyltransferase which has been demonstrated to play important roles in germ cell development during embryonic stages. In the present study, we fou...

BACKGROUND INFORMATION Primordial germ cells in developing male and female gonads are responsive to somatic cell cues that direct their sex-specific differentiation into functional gametes. The first divergence of the male and female pathways is a change in cell cycle state observed from 12.5 dpc (days post coitum) in mice. At this time XY and XX germ cells cease mitotic division and enter G1/G...