Primordial Germ Cells in Mice

SUMMARY Germcelldevelopmentcreatestotipotencythroughgeneticaswellasepigenetic regulationof the genome function. Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the first germ cell population established during development and are immediate precursors for both the oocytes and spermatogonia. We here summarize recent findings regarding the mechanism of PGC development in mice. We focus on the transcriptional and signaling mechanism for PGC specification, potential pluripotency, and epigenetic reprogramming in PGCs and strategies for the reconstitution of germ cell development using pluripotent stem cells in culture. Continued studies on germ cell development maylead tothe generationof totipotencyinvitro,whichshould have a profound influence on biological science as well as on medicine.