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Differentiation of female primordial germ cells in the male testes of chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)
Author(s) -
Tagami Takahiro,
Kagami Hiroshi,
Matsubara Yuko,
Harumi Takashi,
Naito Mitsuru,
Takeda Kumiko,
Hanada Hirofumi,
Nirasawa Keijiro
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/mrd.20499
Subject(s) - biology , spermatid , germline , spermatogenesis , andrology , spermiogenesis , seminiferous tubule , germ cell , chimera (genetics) , meiosis , sexual differentiation , gamete , genetics , endocrinology , sperm , sertoli cell , gene , medicine
In our previous studies, we demonstrated that female primordial germ cells (PGCs) have the ability to differentiate into W chromosome‐bearing (W‐bearing) spermatozoa in male gonads of germline chimeric chickens. In this study, to investigate the differentiation pattern of female PGCs in male gonads in chickens, three germline chimeric chickens were generated by injecting female PGCs into the male recipient embryos. After these male chimeras reached sexual maturity, the semen samples were analyzed for detecting W‐bearing cells by PCR and in situ hybridization analyses. The results indicated that the female PGCs had settled and differentiated in their testes. A histological analysis of the seminiferous tubule in those chimeras demonstrated that the W‐bearing spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and round spermatids accounted for 30.8%, 32.7%, and 28.4%, respectively. However, the W‐bearing elongating spermatid was markedly lower (7.7%) as compared to the W‐bearing round spermatid. The W‐bearing spermatozoa were hardly ever observed (0.2%). We concluded that although female PGCs in male gonads are capable of passing through the first and second meiotic division in adapting themselves to a male environment, they are hardly complete spermiogenesis. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 74: 68–75, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.