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James A. Byrne, Shoukhrat M. Mitalipov, Lisa Clepper, and Don P. Wolf. Biol Reprod 2006; 75:908–915. Published online ahead of print 30 August 2006; DOI 10.1095/biolreprod.106.053868

Mining for "stemness" genes.

Much attention in the current literature has been devoted to the goal of identifying the array of genes that must be expressed for stem cells to exhibit their undifferentiated proliferative features but still allow for multipotency in subsequent differentiation. In a study on p. 908, Byrne et al. combined transcriptional profiling across a series of rhesus monkey embryonic stem cell lines with RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry techniques to identify 367 putative stemness genes. Among these, five core mammalian stemness factor genes are expressed in undifferentiated rhesus monkey, human, and mouse ES lines. Different ES lines displayed a wide variation in POU5F1 (also known as OCT4) expression and yet maintained pluripotency. These results provide an expanded foundation for establishing and characterizing stem cell lines and for evaluating the utility of such cells for applied or therapeutic purposes.

Testosterone Stimulates the Primary to Secondary Follicle Transition in Bovine Follicles in Vitro.

M. Y. Yang and J. E. Fortune. Biol Reprod 2006; 75:924–932. Published online ahead of print 30 August 2006; DOI 10.1095/biolreprod.106.051813

Moving follicles along.

Mechanisms controlling the earliest stages of ovarian follicular growth and differentiation are poorly understood, especially in non-rodent species. In a report on p. 924, Yang and Fortune provide new information on the mechanisms controlling the primary to secondary follicular transition in the bovine ovary. Using serum-free culture of pieces of fetal bovine ovarian cortex, they demonstrate that testosterone, but not estrogen, promoted formation of secondary follicles. Furthermore, the stimulatory effect of testosterone can be abrogated by flutamide, an androgen receptor blocker. These data suggest that the early stages of folliculogenesis are mediated through androgen receptors in the stroma and/or follicular cells. These findings are an important step toward the practical goal of developing systems that will allow activation and growth of bovine follicles to a stage capable for fertilization in vitro.

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