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Does MAX open up a new avenue for meiotic research?
Author(s) -
Suzuki Ayumu,
Hirasaki Masataka,
Okuda Akihiko
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
development, growth and differentiation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.864
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1440-169X
pISSN - 0012-1592
DOI - 10.1111/dgd.12344
Subject(s) - meiosis , gametogenesis , somatic cell , biology , mitosis , microbiology and biotechnology , meiosis ii , homologous chromosome , genetics , stem cell , sexual reproduction , embryonic stem cell , embryo , gene , embryogenesis
Meiosis is a central event of sexual reproduction. Like somatic cells, germ cells conduct mitosis to increase their cell number, but unlike somatic cells, germ cells switch their cell division mode from mitosis to meiosis at a certain point in gametogenesis. However, the molecular basis of this switch remains elusive. In this review article, we give an overview of the onset of mammalian meiosis, including our recent finding that MYC Associated Factor X ( MAX ) prevents ectopic and precocious meiosis in embryonic stem cells ( ESC s) and germ cells, respectively. We present a hypothetical model of a MAX ‐centered molecular network that regulates meiotic entry in mammals and propose that inducible Max knockout ESC s provide an excellent platform for exploring the molecular mechanisms of meiosis initiation, while excluding other aspects of gametogenesis.