Department of Molecular Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; email:
Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol. 2013;29:163-87. doi: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-101512-122353.
Spermatogenesis originates from spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Development of the spermatogonial transplantation technique in 1994 provided the first functional assay to characterize SSCs. In 2000, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor was identified as a SSC self-renewal factor. This discovery not only provided a clue to understand SSC self-renewing mechanisms but also made it possible to derive germline stem (GS) cell cultures in 2003. In vitro culture of GS cells demonstrated their potential pluripotency and their utility in germline modification. However, in vivo SSC analyses have challenged the traditional concept of SSC self-renewal and have revealed their relationship with the microenvironment. An improved understanding of SSC self-renewal through functional assays promises to uncover fundamental principles of stem cell biology and will enable us to use these cells for applications in animal transgenesis and medicine.
精子发生起源于精原干细胞（SSCs）。1994 年，精子发生移植技术的发展提供了第一个功能测定来鉴定 SSCs。2000 年，胶质细胞源性神经营养因子被鉴定为 SSC 自我更新因子。这一发现不仅为理解 SSC 自我更新机制提供了线索，而且还使得 2003 年能够衍生生殖系干细胞（GS）细胞培养物。GS 细胞的体外培养证明了它们的多能性潜力及其在生殖系修饰中的应用。然而，体内 SSC 分析挑战了 SSC 自我更新的传统概念，并揭示了它们与微环境的关系。通过功能测定对 SSC 自我更新的深入了解有望揭示干细胞生物学的基本原则，并使我们能够将这些细胞应用于动物转基因和医学。
