Developmental Biology III




November 11, 2011

Germ-line stem cells


Brinster RL, Avarbock MR
Germline transmision of donor haplotype following spermatogonial transplantation.
PNAS 91: 11303-11307, 1994
Brinster RL, Zimmermann JW
Spermatogenesis following male germ-cell transplantation.
PNAS 91: 11298-11302, 1994

Before you read these papers

Generally, terminally differentiated cells are not proliferative. A multicellular organism has a stem cell system to produce a large number of terminally differentiated cells. Spermatogenesis is also maintained by germ-line stem cells. Before reading these papers, please try to define properties of a "germ-line stem cell" by yourself, and design experiments to identify the stem cell according to your definition. And then, please try to consider limitations of the method that Brinster chose.