Male gamete development begins with the specification of primordial cells in the epiblast of
the early embryo and is not complete until spermatozoa mature in the epididymis of adult …

DNA methylation plays a critical role in spermatogenesis, as evidenced by the male sterility
of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) mutant mice. Here, we report a division of labor in the …

Germ cells are essential for the propagation of individual species. Studies on germ cell
development in mice highlight important biological paradigms. Beginning with their first …

In mammals, germ cells guarantee the inheritance of genetic and epigenetic information
across generations and are the origin of a new organism. During embryo development, the …

Epigenetic mechanisms are thought to help regulate the unique transcription program that is
established in germ cell development. During the germline cycle of many organisms, the …

In the mouse, germ cells that do not reach the genital ridges rapidly die by a wave of
apoptosis that requires the pro-apoptotic protein Bax. In Bax-null embryos, large numbers of …

The germ cell lineage in the mouse is not predetermined but is established during
gastrulation, in response to signalling molecules acting on a subset of epiblast cells that …

Male germ cells undergo dynamic epigenetic reprogramming during fetal development,
eventually establishing spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) that can convert into pluripotent …

As a specialized cell population that plays the unique role of transmitting genetic information
to subsequent generations, germ cells have been intensively studied to unravel their unique …

A basic doctrine of reproductive biology is that most mammalian females lose the capacity
for germ-cell renewal during fetal life, such that a fixed reserve of germ cells (oocytes) …