Advances in Female Germ Cell Induction from Pluripotent Stem Cells

Table 1

Mouse female GCs differentiation from PSCs in vitro.

Cell types	Main induction methods	Achievements		Journal, year (reference)
		Generated cells	Characterization of generated cells
ESCs	Spontaneous differentiation; Suspension culture	FLCs; Oocyte-like cells	Morphology; Marker expressions (ZP2, ZP3, and FIGα); Estradiol secretion; Estrogen biosynthesis	Science, 2003 [40]
ESCs	CM from testicular cell; Suspension culture	Oocyte-like cells	Morphology; Marker expressions (SCP3, ZP3, and FIGα)	Stem cells, 2006 [42]
ESCs	(i) Spontaneous differentiation; Suspension culture; (ii) Coculture with gonadal cells; Adherent and suspension culture	PGCs; Oocyte like cells	Marker expressions (ZP3, FIGα, and GDF9)	Differentiation, 2007 [43]
ESCs	DAZL overexpression; Suspension culture	FLCs; Oocyte-like cells	Morphology; Marker expressions (ZP1, ZP2, ZP3, and GDF9); Parthenogenesis activation	J Mol Cell Biol2009 [51]
ESCs; iPSCs	(i) 2i (MAPK and GSK3 inhibitors), LIF, ActA, and bFGF; Adherent culture; (ii) LIF, SCF, BMP, and EGF; Suspension culture	EpiLCs; PGCLCs	Morphology; Marker expressions (Blimp1 and STELLA); Global transcription profiles; Epigenetic analysis	Cell, 2011 [49]
ESCs; iPSCs	(i) Coculture with gonadal cells; (ii) In vivo transplantation into mouse; (iii) IVM and IVF	PGCLCs; GV oocytes; Fertile GCs	Morphology; Marker expressions (BLIMP1 and PRDM14); Live offspring delivery	Science, 2012 [4]
ESCs; iPSCs	(i) bFGF and ActA; Adherent culture; (ii) Overexpression of PRDM14 or PRDM1, PRDM14, and TFAP2C; Suspension culture	EpiLCs; PGCLCs	Morphology; Marker expressions (BLIMP1 and STELLA); Global transcription profiles; Epigenetic analysis	Nature, 2013 [52]
ESCs; iPSCs	(i) bFGF and ActA; Adherent culture; (ii) NANOG overexpression; Suspension culture	EpiLCs; PGCLCs	Morphology; Marker expressions (BLIMP1 and NANOS3); Global transcription profiles; Epigenetic analysis	Nature, 2016 [53]
ESCs; iPSCs	(i) Coculture with gonadal cells; (ii) IVD, IVG, IVM, and IVF	PGCLCs; MII oocytes; Fertile GCs	Morphology; Marker expressions (DAZL and STELLA); Global transcription profiles; Polar body extrusion; Live offspring delivery	Nature, 2016 [5]
ESCs; iPSCs	(i) 2i (MAPK and GSK3 inhibitors), LIF, ActA, and bFGF; Adherent culture; (ii) LIF, SCF, BMP, and EGF; Suspension culture; (ii) BMP2 and RA; Adherent culture	PGCLCs; Primary oocytes	Morphology; Marker expressions (STRA8, SCP3, and NOBOX) Transcriptome dynamics; Premeiotic DNA replication	The EMBO Journal, 2017 [55]
iPSCs	(i) iPSCs from granulosa cells; (ii) PGCLCs coculture with gonadal cells; (iii) IVD, IVG, IVM, and IVF	PGCLCs; MII oocytes; Fertile GCs	Morphology; Marker expressions (BLIMP1, DAZL, and VASA) Telomere elongation; Endocrine activity of FSH, E2, and AMH; Live offspring delivery	Cell Rep, 2019 [58]

ESCs: embryonic stem cells; iPSCs: induced pluripotent stem cells; GCs: germ cells; EpiLCs: epiblast-like cells; PGCs: primordial germ cells; PGCLCs: primordial germ cell-like cells; FLCs: follicle-like cells; GV oocytes: germinal vesicle oocytes; MII oocytes: meiosis II oocytes; CM: conditioned medium; IVD: in vitro differentiation; IVG: in vitro growth; IVM: in vitro maturation; IVF: in vitro fertilization.