Open AccessMolecular biological features of male germ cell differentiation
Author(s) -
TANAKA HIROMITSU,
HIROSE MIKA,
TOKUHIRO KEIZO,
TAINAKA HITOSHI,
MIYAGAWA YASUSHI,
TSUJIMURA AKIRA,
OKUYAMA AKIHIKO,
NISHIMUNE YOSHITAKE
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
reproductive medicine and biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.005
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 1447-0578
pISSN - 1445-5781
DOI - 10.1111/j.1447-0578.2007.00158.x
Subject(s) - germ cell , reproductive medicine , chemistry , computational biology , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , genetics , gene , pregnancy
Somatic cell differentiation is required throughout the life of a multicellular organism to maintain homeostasis. In contrast, germ cells have only one specific function; to preserve the species by conveying the parental genes to the next generation. Recent studies of the development and molecular biology of the male germ cell have identified many genes, or isoforms, that are specifically expressed in the male germ cell. In the present review, we consider the unique features of male germ cell differentiation. (Reprod Med Biol 2007; 6 : 1–9)