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Letter

Nature Genetics 40, 1016–1022 (1 August 2008) | doi:10.1038/ng.186

Critical function of Prdm14 for the establishment of the germ cell lineage in mice

Masashi Yamaji , Yoshiyuki Seki , Kazuki Kurimoto , Yukihiro Yabuta , Mihoko Yuasa , Mayo Shigeta , Kaori Yamanaka , Yasuhide Ohinata & Mitinori Saitou

Specification of germ cell fate is fundamental in development and heredity. Recent evidence indicates that in mice, specification of primordial germ cells (PGCs), the common source of both oocytes and spermatozoa, occurs through the integration of three key events: repression of the somatic program, reacquisition of potential pluripotency and ensuing genome-wide epigenetic reprogramming.