Offspring from oocytes derived from in vitro primordial germ cell-like cells in mice

Reconstitution of female germ-cell development in vitro is a key challenge in reproductive biology and medicine. We show here that female (XX) embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in mice are induced into primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs), which, when aggregated with female gonadal somatic cells as reconstituted ovaries, develop pre-meiotic germ cell characteristics, including X-reactivation, imprint erasure, and cyst formation. Upon transplantation under ovarian bursa, PGCLCs in the reconstituted ovaries mature into germinal vesicle-stage oocytes, which, through in vitro maturation and fertilization, contribute to fertile offspring. Our culture system serves as a robust foundation for the investigation of key properties of female germ cells, including the acquisition of totipotency, and for the reconstitution of whole female germ-cell development in vitro.

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Hayashi K, Ogushi S, Kurimoto K, Shimamoto S, Ohta H, Saitou M