Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore.
Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Wiley Interdiscip Rev Syst Biol Med. 2019 Jan;11(1):e1436. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1436. Epub 2018 Sep 17.
The germ line is a crucial cell lineage that is distinct from somatic cells, and solely responsible for the trans-generational transmission of hereditary information in metazoan sexual reproduction. Primordial germ cells (PGCs)-the precursors to functional germ cells-are among the first cell types to be allocated in embryonic development, and this lineage commitment is a critical event in partitioning germ line and somatic tissues. Classically, mammalian PGC development has been largely informed by investigations on mouse embryos and embryonic stem cells. Recent findings from corresponding nonrodent systems, however, have indicated that murine PGC specification may not be fully archetypal. In this review, we outline the current understanding of molecular mechanisms in PGC specification, emphasizing key transcriptional events, and focus on salient differences between early human and mouse PGC commitment. Beyond these latest findings, we also contemplate the future outlook of inquiries in this field, highlighting the importance of comprehensively understanding early fate decisions that underlie the segregation of this unique lineage. This article is categorized under: Developmental Biology > Stem Cell Biology and Regeneration Biological Mechanisms > Cell Fates Physiology > Mammalian Physiology in Health and Disease.
生殖细胞系是一种与体细胞明显不同的关键细胞谱系，它是后生动物有性繁殖中遗传信息跨代传递的唯一载体。原始生殖细胞（PGC）——功能性生殖细胞的前体——是胚胎发育中最早分配的细胞类型之一，而这种谱系特化是生殖细胞和体细胞组织分离的关键事件。经典上，哺乳动物 PGC 的发育主要是通过对小鼠胚胎和胚胎干细胞的研究来了解的。然而，来自相应的非啮齿动物系统的最新发现表明，鼠 PGC 的特化可能并不完全是典型的。在这篇综述中，我们概述了 PGC 特化的分子机制的现有认识，强调了关键的转录事件，并重点介绍了早期人类和小鼠 PGC 特化之间的显著差异。除了这些最新的发现，我们还思考了该领域研究的未来展望，强调了全面理解为这一独特谱系分离奠定基础的早期命运决定的重要性。本文属于以下分类：发育生物学 > 干细胞生物学和再生生物学机制 > 细胞命运生理学 > 哺乳动物在健康和疾病中的生理学。
