1. Exploring Derivation of Germ Cells from Pluripotent Stem Cells
Human Germline Cycle
Exploring Derivation of Germ Cells from Pluripotent Stem Cells
Specification
of Primordial Germ Cells
(PGCs)
(~ Week 2)
Azim Surani
Director of Germline and Epigenomics Research
University of Cambridge

2. Origin of primordial germ cells (PGC) specification
BLIMP1
PRDM14
Day 7
Sperm
Oocyte
Mouse
Blastocyst
PGC
(Day 4)
SOX17
BLIMP1
Day 14
Zygote
Sperm
Oocyte
Blastocyst
PGC
(Day 7)
Human
Mechanism of PGC specification is not conserved between mouse and human

3. Primordial germ cell (PGC)
Germ Cells versus Soma
August Weissman
( )
Reprogramming
Induced pluripotent
stem cell (iPSC)
Soma
(Skin cells etc… )
Primordial germ cell (PGC)
Oocyte
Sperm
Breaking the Weissman’s barrier
Totipotent zygote
Soma
PGC
Germline is “immortal”
Endless generations…

4. Making gametes from mouse induced pluripotent stem cells
Blastocyst
Maturation in mice
Sperm
Oocyte
Viable young
Reprogramming
PGC-like cell
(PGCLC)
Somatic cell
Pluripotent
stem cell
(iPS cell, ES cell)
Viable gametes and live young generated from mouse induced pluripotent stem cells
Hayashi K., et al. Cell (2011)
Hayashi K., et al. Science (2012)

5. PGCLC share key properties
Human primordial germ cells (PGCs) from induced pluripotent stem cells
in vivo PGC at wk4
PGCLC share key properties
with PGCs in vivo
Blastocyst
PGCLC
Reprogramming
Sperm
Oocyte
Zygote
Blastocyst
PGD
Putative gametes
in vitro
Skin cell
Induced pluripotent
stem cell
Genome editing
Genome sequencing
Irie N., et al. Cell (2015); Tang WWC., et al., Cell (2015)