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. 2021 Jan 13;2021:8849230. doi: 10.1155/2021/8849230

Table 2.

Human 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
Oocyte-like cells Morphology
Marker expressions (SCP1, SCP3, and GDF9)
Hum Mol Genet, 2004 [61]
ESCs BMP4
Suspension culture
PGCs Morphology
Marker expressions (VASA and SCP3)
Stem cells dev, 2006 [62]
VSELs Spontaneous differentiation
Suspension culture
Oocyte-like cells Morphology
Marker expressions (C-KIT, VASA, and ZP2)
Differentiation, 2008 [78]
ESCs
iPSCs
Coculture with fetal gonadal cells
Adherent culture
PGCs Morphology
Marker expressions (DAZL, VASA, and SSEA1)
Stem Cells, 2009 [12]
ESCs VASA overexpression
BMP4, BMP7, and BMP8b
Adherent culture
PGCs Morphology
Marker expressions (DAZL, VASA, and SCP3)
Epigenetic analysis
Nature, 2009 [66]
ESCs RA
Suspension culture
Oocyte-like cells Morphology
Marker expressions (SSEA1, DAZL, and VASA)
Hum Repro, 2009 [63]
iPSCs Overexpression of DAZL and BOULE
BMP4, BMP7, and BMP8b
Adherent culture
PGCs Morphology
Marker expressions (STELLA and DMC1)
Elongated SC formation
Human Mol Genet, 2011 [68]
VSELs Spontaneous differentiation
Adherent culture
Oocyte-like cells Morphology
Marker expressions (DAZL, ZP4, and GDF9)
Stem Cells Dev, 2011 [79]
ESCs
iPSCs
VASA overexpression
Adherent culture
PGCs
Postmeiotic GCs
Morphology
Marker expressions (GCNF, LHR, and ZP2)
SCP formation analysis
Epigenetic analysis
Stem Cells, 2012 [67]
ESCs STELLA overexpression
RA
Adherent culture
PGCs Marker expressions (VASA, SCP3, and SOX17) PloS one, 2013 [69]
ESCs
iPSCs
(i) 4i (MAPK, GSK3, P38, and JNK inhibitors), LIF, TGFβ, and bFGF
Adherent culture
(ii) BMP2/4, LIF, SCF, and EGF
Suspension culture
PGCLCs Morphology
Marker expressions (BLIMP1 and STELLA)
Global transcription profiles
Epigenetic analysis
Cell, 2015 [7]
iPSCs (i) ActA and GSK3b inhibitor
Adherent culture
(ii) GMEM/KSR, BMP4, LIF, SCF, and EGF
Suspension culture
iMeLCs
PGCLCs
Morphology
Marker expressions (PRDM14 andSOX17)
Global transcription profiles
Epigenetic analysis
Cell stem cell, 2015 [6]
ESCs
iPSCs
(i) ActA, bFGF, and BMP4 (5 ng/ml)
Adherent culture (ii) Lif and BMP4 (100 ng/ml)
Suspension culture
Mesodermal-like cells
PGCLCs
Morphology
Marker expressions (BLIMP1 and STELLA) global transcription profiles
Epigenetic analysis
EMBO J, 2015 [36]
ESCs Overexpression of DAZL and BOULE
GDF9 and BMP15
Adherent culture
FLCs Morphology
Marker expressions (ZP2, NOBOX, and AMH)
Global transcription profiles
Estradiol secretion
Nat commun, 2017 [74]
VSELs Follicular fluid “serum” medium
Adherent culture
Oocyte-like cells Morphology
Marker expression (ZP1-3)
Stem Cell Rev Rep, 2018 [80]
iPSCs Coculture with mouse gonadal cells
Suspension culture
PGCLCs
Oogonia-like cells
Morphology
Marker expressions (SCP3, REC8 and STRA8)
Transcriptome dynamics
Epigenetic analysis
X chromosome activity
Science, 2018 [8]

ESCs: embryonic stem cells; iPSCs: induced pluripotent stem cells; VSELs: very small embryonic-like stem cells; iMeLCs: incipient mesoderm-like cells; PGCs: primordial germ cells; PGCLCs: primordial germ cell-like cells; FLCs: follicle-like cells; SCP: synaptonemal complex protein.