The transcriptome of chicken circulatory primordial germ cells

To understand the differences in genetic mechanisms between male and female chicken PGCs, we studied the transcriptome of circulatory stage PGCs which were cultured in serum free medium. Our analysis revealed sex-specific differences between male and female cells. Female PGCs demonstrated a higher expression of SMAD7 and NCAM2 than male PGCs is the possible reason for their slower proliferation and increased cell-cell adhesion properties in vitro. A comparison with both pluripotent and somatic cell types identifies a set of germ cells hallmark genes which will help to understand the key regulatory genes for gamete production in birds.