Differential gene expression in mouse spermatogonial stem cells and embryonic stem cells

Mouse spermatogonial stem cells (mSSCs) may be reprogrammed to become pluripotent stem cells under in vitro culture conditions, due to epigenetic modifications, which are closely associated with the expression of transcription factors and epigenetic factors. Thus, this study was conducted to compare the gene expression of transcription factors and epigenetic factors in mSSCs and mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Firstly, the freshly isolated mSSCs [mSSCs (f)] were enriched by magnetic-activated cell sorting with Thy1.2 (CD90.2) microbeads, and the typical morphological characteristics were maintained under in vitro culture conditions for over 5 months to form long-term propagated mSSCs [mSSCs (l)]. These mSSCs (l) expressed pluripotency-associated genes and were induced to differentiate into sperm. Our findings indicated that the mSSCs (l) expressed high levels of the transcription factors, Lin28 and Prmt5, and the epigenetic factors, Tet3, Parp1, Max, Tert and Trf1, in comparison with the mESCs, with the levels of Prmt5, Tet3, Parp1 and Tert significantly higher than those in the mESCs. There was no significant difference in Kdm2b expression between mSSCs (l) and mESCs. Furthermore, the gene expression of N-Myc, Dppa2, Tbx3, Nr5a2, Prmt5, Tet3, Parp1, Max, Tert and Trf1 in the mSSCs (l) was markedly higher in comparison to that in the mSSCs (f). Collectively, our results suggest that the mSSCs and the mESCs displayed differential gene expression profiles, and the mSSCs possessed the potential to acquire pluripotency based on the high expression of transcription factors and epigenetic factors. These data may provide novel insights into the reprogramming mechanism of mSSCs.