Abstract
Xenopus primordial germ cells (PGCs) are determined by the presence of maternally derived germ plasm. Germ plasm components both protect PGCs from somatic differentiation and begin a unique gene expression program. Segregation of the germline from the endodermal lineage occurs during gastrulation, and PGCs subsequently initiate zygotic transcription. However, the gene-network(s) that operate to both preserve and promote germline differentiation are poorly understood. Here, we utilized RNA-sequencing analysis to comprehensively interrogate PGC and neighboring endoderm cell mRNAs after lineage segregation. We identified 1,865 transcripts enriched in PGCs compared to endoderm cells. We next compared the PGC-enriched transcripts to previously identified maternal, vegetally-enriched transcripts, and found that >50% of maternal transcripts were enriched in PGCs, including sox7. PGC-directed sox7 knockdown and over-expression studies revealed an early requirement for sox7 in germ plasm localization, zygotic transcription, and PGC number. We identified oct60 as the most highly expressed and enriched OCT3/4 homologue in PGCs. We compared the Xenopus PGC transcriptome with human PGC transcripts and showed that 80% of genes are conserved, underscoring the usefulness of Xenopus for human based studies.
- Received June 13, 2017.
- Accepted November 6, 2017.
Log in using your username and password
Log in through your institution
Pay Per Article - You may access this article (from the computer you are currently using) for 1 day for US$30.00 .
Regain Access - You can regain access to a recent Pay per Article purchase if your access period has not yet expired.
Article navigation
Related articles
Cited by...
More in this TOC section
Similar articles
Other journals from The Company of Biologists
A new Editor-in-Chief for Development
“I'm very keen that Development continues to innovate and support our community.”
We're delighted to announce the appointment of James Briscoe, Group Leader at The Francis Crick Institute, London, as our new Editor-in-Chief. Read our interview with James to find out his career and research interests, the importance of interdisciplinary thinking in developmental biology, and his views on the current state and future opportunities in scientific publishing. Also, check out the Editorial from Sarah Bray, Kate Storey and Katherine Brown to learn more about the announcement, and about our recent community consultation.
Review – Developing in 3D: the role of CTCF in cell differentiation
In this Review, Rodrigo G. Arzate-Mejía, Félix Recillas-Targa and Victor G. Corces discuss evidence linking CTCF to the control of developmental processes in various cell and tissue types through 3D organization of the genome.
From stem cells to human development – meeting reporter competition
In September, Development is hosting our next meeting focusing on human developmental biology. We are excited to announce a competition for a reporter to cover the meeting for the Node. The winner will get free registration to the meeting, and it’s a fantastic opportunity to practice your science communication skills - find out more here.
Spotlight – Susan Strome
“I realised that I could think it through on my own – I didn't require that my advisor tell me what to do or how to do it”
Recently appointed an editor at Development, we caught up with Susan to discuss her early career switch from prokaryotes to worms, her experiences of small and big science, and why teaching is so important to her.
On the Node – The people behind the papers
Development and homeostasis depend crucially on the maintenance of cell identity, and in gamete-producing tissues the somatic/germline distinction is paramount. A recent paper in Development explores how cell identity is secured in the Drosophila ovary by studying the function of the conserved tumour suppressor L(3)mbt. To find out more about the story, the Node caught up with first author Rémi-Xavier Coux and his supervisor Ruth Lehmann of the Skirball Institute at New York University School of Medicine.
Santa Cruz Developmental Biology Meeting
Development is a proud sponsor of the upcoming Santa Cruz Developmental Biology Meeting, which takes place 11-15 August 2018 at the University of California, Santa Cruz . Registration for this meeting is now open!
Articles of interest in our sister journals
Rap1, Canoe and Mbt cooperate with Bazooka to promote zonula adherens assembly in the fly photoreceptor
Rhian F. Walther, Mubarik Burki, Noelia Pinal, Clare Rogerson, Franck Pichaud. J Cell Sci 2018 131: jcs207779.
H2AFX and MDC1 promote maintenance of genomic integrity in male germ cells
Erika Testa, Daniela Nardozi, Cristina Antinozzi, Monica Faieta, Stefano Di Cecca, Cinzia Caggiano, Tomoyuki Fukuda, Elena Bonanno, Lou Zhenkun, Andros Maldonado, Ignasi Roig, Monica Di Giacomo, Marco Barchi. J Cell Sci 2018 131: jcs214411.