Abstract
A critical step in the development of gametes is the migration of their primordial germ cell (PGC) precursors to the forming gonads. Although the location and mode of PGC specification differs between organisms, the formation of a committed germline before organogenesis creates a need for migration through the growing embryo in order to reach the site of gonadogenesis. Failure of PGC migration can, in many cases, compromise fertility or conversely lead to the formation of teratomas in sites outside of the gonad. Here we review the mechanism of migration employed by PGCs and compare the timing and routes across several model organisms. We summarize recent work on the role of the Wnt signaling pathway in cell migration and the lineage specific function in PGCs, mainly through the ligand Wnt5a and its receptor Ror2
Highlights
The egg and sperm are not used until adulthood, their precursors, the primordial germ cells (PGCs), are among the first lineages established in development (Laird et al, 2008)
The chemotactic signals that direct the movement of frog PGCs have not yet been identified; recent work has begun to elucidate the role of adhesive properties, extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, and internal cytoskeletal dynamics in regulating the modes of PGC motility in the developing frog embryo (Nishiumi et al, 2005; Dzementsei et al, 2013; Terayama et al, 2013)
The histone modifications that occur during migration, including erasure of H3K9me2 and addition of H3K27me3 and H4/H2AR3me2, appear to move the genome toward greater transcriptional plasticity while preventing inappropriate differentiation (Seki et al, 2005; Ancelin et al, 2006). It remains unclear if this phase of epigenetic reprogramming is linked to PGC migration and movement through different somatic microenvironments or intrinsically regulated by developmental timing, and insufficient numbers of PGCs during this period have prevented the use of experimental techniques typical in this line of research
Summary
A critical step in the development of gametes is the migration of their primordial germ cell (PGC) precursors to the forming gonads. The location and mode of PGC specification differs between organisms, the formation of a committed germline before organogenesis creates a need for migration through the growing embryo in order to reach the site of gonadogenesis. Failure of PGC migration can, in many cases, compromise fertility or lead to the formation of teratomas in sites outside of the gonad. We review the mechanism of migration employed by PGCs and compare the timing and routes across several model organisms. We summarize recent work on the role of the Wnt signaling pathway in cell migration and the lineage specific function in PGCs, mainly through the ligand Wnt5a and its receptor Ror
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