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Visualization and Lineage Tracing of Pax7+ Spermatogonial Stem Cells in the Mouse

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Germline Stem Cells

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1463))

Abstract

The precise identity of spermatogonial stem cells—the germline stem cell of the adult testis—remains a controversial topic. Technical limitations have included the lack of specific markers and methods for lineage tracing of Asingle spermatogonia and their subsets. Immunolocalization of proteins in tissue sections has been a standard tool for the in situ identification and visualization of rare cellular subsets. However, these studies are limited by the need for faithful and reliable protein markers to define these cell types, as well as the availability of specific antibodies to these markers. Here we describe the use of a monoclonal antibody to Pax7 as a means to detect spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) both in tissue sections and in intact seminiferous tubules. Furthermore, we describe methods for lineage tracing as an alternative method to visualize Pax7+ spermatogonial stem cells and their progeny.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology and Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390-9072, USA

    Gina M. Aloisio, Ileana Cuevas, Yuji Nakada, Christopher G. Peña & Diego H. Castrillon

Authors
  1. Gina M. Aloisio
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  2. Ileana Cuevas
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  3. Yuji Nakada
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  4. Christopher G. Peña
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  5. Diego H. Castrillon
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Gina M. Aloisio or Diego H. Castrillon .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA

    Michael Buszczak

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Aloisio, G.M., Cuevas, I., Nakada, Y., Peña, C.G., Castrillon, D.H. (2017). Visualization and Lineage Tracing of Pax7+ Spermatogonial Stem Cells in the Mouse. In: Buszczak, M. (eds) Germline Stem Cells. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1463. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-4017-2_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-4017-2_11

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-4015-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-4017-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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