Recent advances of in vitro culture systems for spermatogonial stem cells in mammals.

Background: Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) in the mammalian testis are unipotent stem cells for spermatozoa. They show unique cell characteristics as stem cells and germ cells after being isolated from the testis and cultured in vitro. This review introduces recent progress in the development of culture systems for the establishment of SSC lines in mammalian species, including humans.

Methods: Based on the published reports, the isolation and purification of SSCs, identification and characteristics of SSCs, and culture system for mice, humans, and domestic animals have been summarized.

Results: In mice, cell lines from SSCs are established and can be reprogrammed to show pluripotent stem cell potency that is similar to embryonic stem cells. However, it is difficult to establish cell lines for animals other than mice because of the dearth of understanding about species-specific requirements for growth factors and mechanisms supporting the self-renewal of cultured SSCs. Among the factors that are associated with the development of culture systems, the enrichment of SSCs that are isolated from the testis and the combination of growth factors are essential.

Conclusion: Providing an example of SSC culture in cattle, a rational consideration was made about how it can be possible to establish cell lines from neonatal and immature testes.