{"id":7742,"date":"2022-12-10T10:34:05","date_gmt":"2022-12-10T01:34:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/?page_id=7742"},"modified":"2023-01-05T10:51:43","modified_gmt":"2023-01-05T01:51:43","slug":"hayashi2022-12-10","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/activities\/results\/2022year\/hayashi2022-12-10","title":{"rendered":"Masafumi Hayashi, Katsuhiko Hayashi \u226aGermline Genetics\u226b <span>Germ-cell precursors pave the way to help save endangered species<\/span>"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"linkBar clearfix\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/activities\/results\/2022year\/hayashi2022-12-7\">Text in Japanese<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Science Advances<\/p>\n<p><em>Researchers from Osaka University generate precursors of sperm and eggs in breakthrough for breeding programs<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"figure\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/hayashi_efig1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7744 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/hayashi_efig1-400x284.jpg?_t=1670981916\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"284\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/hayashi_efig1-400x284.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/hayashi_efig1-768x546.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/hayashi_efig1.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><br \/>Figure 1. PGCLCs of white rhinoceros (left) and comparison of gene expression dynamics during PGCLC differentiation among mammalian species<\/p>\n<div class=\"TextBlock\">\n<p>For many endangered species, breeding programs are an important part of efforts to increase population numbers. Now, researchers from Osaka University have successfully induced the precursors of eggs and sperm using cells from threatened white rhinoceros, a critical step toward possibly rebuilding northern white rhino populations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"TextBlock\">\n<p>The northern white rhino, <em>Ceratotherium simum cottoni<\/em>, is extinct in the wild. Only two females remain, despite a decades-long effort to preserve the species through a breeding program alongside efforts to tackle poaching and habitat loss. The species decline outpaced conservation efforts and the last male died in 2018. Given the status of this species, new ways of approaching breeding and conservation are urgently needed.<\/p>\n<p>Advanced assisted reproductive technologies developed for humans and livestock are a promising avenue for rebuilding populations of endangered species. Techniques such as artificial insemination, induction of ovulation, and <em>in vitro<\/em> culture of blastocysts have all been used. The challenge with the northern white rhino is the lack of eggs and sperm to produce embryos.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCells from the skin or blood can be reprogrammed back into an embryonic-like state,\u201d explains Masafumi Hayashi, lead author of the study. \u201cThese cells are called induced pluripotent stem cells, or IPSCs. As with embryonic stem cells, they can develop into any tissue in the body, including sperm and eggs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Previous studies have shown that, in mice, embryonic stem cells can be differentiated into primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs), which are equivalent to the origins of eggs and sperm. PGCLCs have been generated from pluripotent stem cells in mice, humans, monkeys, and rabbits, but never in wild animals.<\/p>\n<p>The researchers established a culture system using pluripotent cells from southern and northern white rhinos and through repeated refinement produced PGCLCs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the first time that PGCLCs have been induced in a wild animal,\u201d says Katsuhiko Hayashi, senior author. \u201cThis a significant breakthrough as it paves the way for generating reproductive cells from endangered species that can then be used for breeding.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Production of mature reproductive cells requires a cell environment that provides the chemical signals needed for sex-dependent differentiation and functional maturity of the gametes. In mice, PGCLCs were fully functional after transfer into the ovary and testis. While some challenges remain, in theory, it may be possible to produce mature northern white rhino eggs suitable for fertilization with banked sperm derived from four deceased males. For a species on the very brink of extinction, these technological advances offer hope.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>###<\/p>\n<p>The article, \u201cRobust induction of primordial germ cells of white rhinoceros on the brink of extinction,\u201d was published in\u3000<em>Science Advances<\/em>\u3000at DOI:\u3000<a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.abp9683\">https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.abp9683<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Summary: <\/strong>Researchers from Osaka University have developed a culture system using pluripotent cells from southern and northern white rhinos, which was refined to produce primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs). These cells are the equivalent of primordial germ cells, the origin of eggs and sperm. The study marks an important first step in the potential production of northern white rhino gametes, which could be used in breeding programs, and is the first to induce PGCLCs in a wild animal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tweet (150 characters, not including spaces):<\/strong>\u00a0Breakthrough in primordial germ cell induction provides hope for endangered species breeding programs<br \/><strong>Tweet 2: <\/strong>Induction of primordial germ cell-like cells a first in wild animals<\/p>\n<p><strong>Primary Keyword: <\/strong>Life sciences<br \/><strong>Additional Keywords: <\/strong>Animal breeding, sexual reproduction, endangered species, cell biology, germ cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, wild populations, extinction<\/p>\n<p><strong>Method of Research:<\/strong> Experimental study<\/p>\n<p><strong>Subject of Research:<\/strong> Cells<\/p>\n<p>Title: \u201cRobust induction of primordial germ cells of white rhinoceros on the brink of extinction\u201d<br \/>Journal: <em>Science Advances<\/em><em><br \/><\/em>Authors: Masafumi Hayashi, Vera Zywitza, Yuki Naitou, Nobuhiko Hamazaki, Frank Goeritz, Robert Hermes, Susanne Holtze, Giovanna Lazzari, Cesare Galli, Jan Stejskal, Sebastian Diecke, Thomas B. Hildebrandt, and Katsuhiko Hayashi<br \/>DOI: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.abp9683\">10.1126\/sciadv.abp9683<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Funded by: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science<br \/>Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology<br \/>Takeda Science Foundation<br \/>Grant-in-Aid from The Open Philanthropy Project<br \/>the German government BMBF 01LC1902A\/B BioRescue<br \/>Dr. Richard Mclellan<br \/>Nadace \u010cEZ grants<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Text in Japanese Science Advances Researchers from Osaka University generate precursors of sperm and eggs in b [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7744,"parent":6951,"menu_order":147,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7742"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7742"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7742\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7749,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7742\/revisions\/7749"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6951"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}