Guest Editor:
Su-Ren Chen, PhD: College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, China
The germ cell lineage is established very early on post-fertilization and is essential for the development of gametes. BMC Molecular and Cell Biology invited submissions investigating all aspects of fertilization, establishment and maintenance of the germ cell line and gametogenesis.
Su-Ren Chen: College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, China
Su-Ren Chen is a researcher at the College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University. His laboratory focuses on the genetic causes of male infertility (Human Reproduction Update, 2021). Their study of knockout/mutant mice and variants screening of infertile Chinese men suggest that CCIN (Cell Reports, 2022), CEP78 (Science Advances, 2022), ACTRT1 (Development, 2022), and CFAP70 (eBioMedicine, 2023) are causative genes of male infertility in both humans and mice. Prof Chen's study expands the causative gene spectrum of male infertility and provides information for fertility guidance for patients carrying these mutations.
Germ cells are highly specialized cells with the unique ability of forming a new organism. This critical cell lineage is established very early on post-fertilization through the inhibition of somatic differentiation programs. This process needs to be tightly regulated as the germ cells migrate through somatic cells in the early embryo to reach the gonads, where gametogenesis occurs. Both the processes of spermatogenesis and oogenesis are carefully controlled, and germ cells undergo meiosis and significant changes in various organelles and the cytoplasm to become viable gametes. All steps from establishing the germ cell lineage to gametogenesis and eventual fertilization are tightly controlled, and errors can have serious implications for fertility, human diseases, and agriculture.
In recognition of the importance of this topic, BMC Molecular and Cell Biology called for submissions on all aspects of gametogenesis, germs cells and fertilization. We welcomed studies focused on these cell biology processes in humans, animals (including agricultural animals) and plants as well as model organisms used to understand gametes and gametogenesis. Topics included but were not limited to the following:
Image credit: Nishinaga Susumu / Science Photo Library
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