TY - JOUR
T1 - The distribution and behavior of extragonadal primordial germ cells in Bax mutant mice suggest a novel origin for sacrococcygeal germ cell tumors
AU - Runyan, Christopher
AU - Gu, Ying
AU - Shoemaker, Amanda
AU - Looijenga, Leendert
AU - Wylie, Christopher
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - 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 ectopic (extragonadal) germ cells fail to die. We have studied the fates of these, in an effort to understand the etiology of human extragonadal germ cell tumors, which are thought to arise from ectopic germ cells. We find that ectopic germ cells in which apoptosis is blocked form a heterogeneous population, which partially differentiates along the gonocyte pathway to different extents in different regions of the embryo, and in the two genders. In particular, a previously undescribed population of ectopic germ cells was identified in the tail. These germ cells retained primitive markers for longer than ectopic germ cells in other regions, and represent a possible origin for sacrococcygeal type I extragonadal germ cell tumors found in neonates and infants. This hypothesis is supported, but not proved, by the finding of cells expressing the germ cell marker Oct4 associated with a coccygeal germ cell tumor in a human infant.
AB - 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 ectopic (extragonadal) germ cells fail to die. We have studied the fates of these, in an effort to understand the etiology of human extragonadal germ cell tumors, which are thought to arise from ectopic germ cells. We find that ectopic germ cells in which apoptosis is blocked form a heterogeneous population, which partially differentiates along the gonocyte pathway to different extents in different regions of the embryo, and in the two genders. In particular, a previously undescribed population of ectopic germ cells was identified in the tail. These germ cells retained primitive markers for longer than ectopic germ cells in other regions, and represent a possible origin for sacrococcygeal type I extragonadal germ cell tumors found in neonates and infants. This hypothesis is supported, but not proved, by the finding of cells expressing the germ cell marker Oct4 associated with a coccygeal germ cell tumor in a human infant.
KW - Animals
KW - Apoptosis
KW - Base Sequence
KW - Cell Cycle Proteins
KW - Cell Differentiation
KW - Cell Movement
KW - DEAD-box RNA Helicases/genetics
KW - DNA Primers/genetics
KW - DNA-Binding Proteins
KW - Female
KW - Germ Cells/cytology
KW - Gestational Age
KW - Green Fluorescent Proteins/genetics
KW - Humans
KW - Infant
KW - Infant, Newborn
KW - Lewis X Antigen/genetics
KW - Male
KW - Mice
KW - Mice, Knockout
KW - Mice, Mutant Strains
KW - Mice, Transgenic
KW - Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/etiology
KW - Nuclear Proteins/genetics
KW - Octamer Transcription Factor-3/genetics
KW - Recombinant Fusion Proteins/genetics
KW - Sacrococcygeal Region
KW - bcl-2-Associated X Protein/deficiency
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=44849105223&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1387/ijdb.072486cr
DO - 10.1387/ijdb.072486cr
M3 - Article
C2 - 18415933
SN - 0214-6282
VL - 52
SP - 333
EP - 344
JO - The International journal of developmental biology
JF - The International journal of developmental biology
IS - 4
ER -