Stem Cells Help Study of Infertility Genes

Renee Reijo -Pera and colleagues wanted to develop a system to examine the events that are involved in germ-cell formation, retention of the pluripotent state, and progression through cell division to become these sex cells. They studied four embryonic stem-cell lines - two male and two female - and show that a gene called DAZL is involved in the early germ-cell formation. Two closely related genes, DAZ and BOULE, promote the later stages of development. Mutations in these genes are known to be involved in human infertility; however, because they are not present in mice, they have been difficult to study until now. The work is significant to the generation of germ cells for both basic research and potential clinical applications.

CONTACT

Renee Reijo-Pera (Stanford University, CA, USA)
E-mail: reneer@stanford.edu

Abstract available online.

(C) Nature press release.

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