Adult Stem Cells Flashcards
What has to be maintained during stem cell division?
Equal number of differentiated and stem cells.
What are the two ways in which a balance between terminated and stem cell numbers?
Individual cell level and population level.
What kind of cells compose the bulk of the tumour, stem cells or partially differentiated cells?
Partially differentiated cells.
What is the potency of germline stem cells?
Unipotent, they only produce gametes
What is c-KIT a marker off?
Differentiated marker in the germline system, expression increased by sperm.
What are A dark and A pale spermatogonia in primates?
A dark- stem cells
A pale- progenitors
What cell gives rise to the first round of differentiated spermatogonia?
Gonocytes, rather than germ stem cells.
What cells do gonocytes give rise to?
Undifferentiated spermatogonia (stem cells) and differentiated spermatogonia.
What is the major factor produced by Sertoli cells to maintain the stem cell niche in the testes?
Glial cell line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)
What factors that, along with GDNF, produce the stem cell niche in the testis?
FGF2, CSF1, CXCL12 chemokine, PLZF, Nanos 2
What contributes to reduced age-related male fertility?
Ageing of the stem cell niche, e.g. reduced GDNF production.
What cells contribute to the germ stem cell niche?
Sertoli cells, peritubular myoid cells surrounding the basement membrane, leydig cells, endothelial cells and macrophages
Expression of which cell-surface receptor for GDNF demonstrates the stem cell nature of a germ stem cell?
GRFalpha1
What is the cell of origin of most testicular tumours?
Embryonic gonocytes.
When does hair follicle development begin in humans?
Weeks 9-12
