Germline Stem Cells

Functional Modules in Gametogenesis

Gametogenesis, the production of eggs and sperm, is a fundamental process in sexually reproducing animals. Following gametogenesis commitment and sexual fate decision, germ cells undergo several developmental processes to halve their genomic size and acquire sex-specific characteristics of gametes, including cellular size, motility, and cell polarity. However, it remains unclear how different gametogenesis processes are initially integrated. With the advantages of the teleost fish medaka (Oryzias latipes), in which germline stem cells continuously produce eggs and sperm in mature gonads and a sexual switch gene in germ cells is identified, we found that distinct pathways initiate gametogenesis cooperatively after commitment to gametogenesis. This evokes the concept of functional modules, in which functionally interlocked genes are grouped to yield distinct gamete characteristics. The various combinations of modules may allow us to explain the evolution of diverse reproductive systems, such as parthenogenesis and hermaphroditism.

Emerging landscape of cell-penetrating peptide-mediated nucleic acid delivery and their utility in imaging, gene-editing, and RNA-sequencing

The safety issues like immunogenicity and unacceptable cancer risk of viral vectors for DNA/mRNA vaccine delivery necessitate the development of non-viral vectors with no toxicity. Among the non-viral strategies, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have been a topic of interest recently because of their ability to cross plasma membranes and facilitate nucleic acids delivery both in vivo and in vitro. In addition to the application in the field of gene vaccine and gene therapy, CPPs based nucleic acids delivery have been proved by its potential application like gene editing, RNA-sequencing, and imaging. Here, we focus on summarizing the recent applications and progress of CPPs-mediated nucleic acids delivery and discuss the current problems and solutions in this field.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of long noncoding and circular RNAs in germline stem cells

Germline stem cells are germ cells at an early developmental stage, so their development is key to ensuring human reproduction. There is increasing evidence that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and circular RNA (circRNA) play important roles in the development of germ cells. This data descriptor provides unique lncRNA and circRNA transcriptomic information for mouse germline stem cells. Using the Illumina HiSeqx 2000 system, a total of 511,836,732 raw reads were generated. High-quality transcripts, lncRNAs, and circRNAs were identificated and quantified using the reads, and more precise annotations of lncRNAs (especially 9357 novel lncRNAs) and circRNAs were performed in the germline stem cells. We then analyzed the transcript structures, genetic variants, and the interaction between circRNA and microRNA to provide the basis for subsequent functional experiments. This comprehensive dataset will help advance data sharing and deepen our understanding of mouse germline stem cells, providing a theoretical foundation for research on germ cell development and human reproduction, among others.

Emerging methods to generate artificial germ cells from stem cells

Germ cells are responsible for the transmission of genetic and epigenetic information across generations. At present, the number of infertile couples is increasing worldwide; these infertility problems can be traced to environmental pollutions, infectious diseases, cancer, psychological or work-related stress, and other factors, such as lifestyle and genetics. Notably, lack of germ cells and germ cell loss present real obstacles in infertility treatment. Recent research aimed at producing gametes through artificial germ cell generation from stem cells may offer great hope for affected couples to treat infertility in the future. Therefore, this rapidly emerging area of artificial germ cell generation from nongermline cells has gained considerable attention from basic and clinical research in the fields of stem cell biology, developmental biology, and reproductive biology. Here, we review the state of the art in artificial germ cell generation.