FGFR3 is expressed by human primordial germ cells and is repressed after meiotic initiation to form primordial oocytes

Tsotne Chitiashvili; Fei-Man Hsu; Iris Dror; Kathrin Plath; Amander Clark

doi:10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.04.015

FGFR3 is expressed by human primordial germ cells and is repressed after meiotic initiation to form primordial oocytes

Stem Cell Reports. 2022 Jun 14;17(6):1268-1278. doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.04.015. Epub 2022 May 19.

Authors

Tsotne Chitiashvili¹, Fei-Man Hsu², Iris Dror³, Kathrin Plath⁴, Amander Clark⁵

Affiliations

¹ Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology Department, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
² Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology Department, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
³ Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁴ Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁵ Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology Department, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address: clarka@ucla.edu.

Abstract

Human germ cell development is a highly regulated process beginning soon after embryo implantation with the specification of primordial germ cells (PGCs) and ending in adulthood with the differentiation of gametes. Here, we show that fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) is expressed by human PGCs during the first and second trimester, becoming repressed as PGCs differentiate into primordial oocytes. Using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) with antibodies that recognize FGFR3 followed by single-cell RNA sequencing, we show that isolating FGFR3-positive cells enriches for human PGCs. Taken together, FGFR3 could be used in future studies as a strategy to identify maturing PGCs in vitro.

Keywords: FACS; FGFR3; PGCLCs; embryonic ovaries; embryonic testes; germ cells.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Cell Differentiation
Flow Cytometry
Germ Cells*
Humans
Oocytes
Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3* / genetics
Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3* / metabolism

Substances

FGFR3 protein, human
Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding