Regenerating Lost Germline Stem Cells

The invertebrate germ line is an excellent model system to elucidate stem cell biology. Jak-STAT signaling maintains germline stem cell self-renewal in Drosophila testis. Brawley and Matunis now find that removing and then restoring Jak-STAT signaling in this system results in the regeneration of lost germline stem cells. These stem cells arise from the dedifferentiation of clusters of interconnected spermatogonial cells. Thus, even after spermatogonia have initiated differentiation, under the right conditions they can revert to germline stem cells. C. Brawley, E. Matunis, Regeneration of male germline stem cells by spermatogonial dedifferentiation in vivo. Science 304 , 1331-1334 (2004). [Abstract] [Full Text]