Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Casting back to stem cells

Nature Cell Biology volume 11, pages 118–120 (2009)Cite this article

In the classical view, adult stem cells and their differentiating progeny are considered to be distinct entities in an irreversible sequence of development. However, emerging evidence suggests that this distinction may not be so definitive. Recent work in the mouse shows that a population of differentiating spermatogonia, when transplanted, can 'de-differentiate' into functional self-renewing stem cells.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Mouse spermatogenic cells in the testis and proposed models for the stem-cell system.

References

  1. Kai, T. & Spradling, A. Nature 428, 564–569 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Brawley, C. & Matunis, E. Science 304, 1331–1334 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. de Rooij, D. G. & Russell, L. D. J. Androl. 21, 776–798 (2000).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Schrans-Stassen, B. H., van de Kant, H. J., de Rooij, D. G. & van Pelt, A. M. Endocrinology 140, 5894–5900 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Meistrich, M. L. & van Beek, M. E. Cell and Molecular Biology of the Testis. (eds Desjardins, C. & Ewing, L. L.) 266–295 (Oxford University Press, New York, 1993).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Brinster, R. L. & Zimmermann, J. W. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 91, 11298–11302 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Brinster, R. L. & Avarbock, M. R. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 91, 11303–11307 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Barroca, V. et al. Nature Cell Biol. 11, 190–196 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Nakagawa, T., Nabeshima, Y. & Yoshida, S. Dev. Cell 12, 195–206 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Shinohara, T., Orwig, K. E., Avarbock, M. R. & Brinster, R. L. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 97, 8346–8351 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Ohbo, K. et al. Dev. Biol. 258, 209–225 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Lassalle, B. et al. Development 131, 479–487 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Falciatori, I. et al. FASEB J. 18, 376–378 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Kubota, H., Avarbock, M. R. & Brinster, R. L. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 100, 6487–6492 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Lo, K. C., Brugh, V. M., 3rd, Parker, M. & Lamb, D. J. Biol. Reprod. 72, 767–771 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Clermont, Y. & Bustos-Obregon, E. Am. J. Anat. 122, 237–247 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shosei Yoshida is in the Division of Germ Cell Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, 444-8989, Okazaki, Japan. shosei@nibb.ac.jp,

    Shosei Yoshida

Authors
  1. Shosei Yoshida
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yoshida, S. Casting back to stem cells. Nat Cell Biol 11, 118–120 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb0209-118

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb0209-118

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing