Fig. 2

Phenotype-specific molecular markers to identify and isolate SSCs from several livestock species. PLZF (also known as ZBTB16) - promyelocytic leukemia zinc-finger protein, a transcription factor essential for the maintenance and self-renewal of SSC. PGP9.5 (protein gen product 9.5; also known as UCHL1) – ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1, is expressed in a premeiotic male germ cells and does not show an affinity for somatic cells, which makes it an optimal marker for spermatogonia in domestic testes. CD90 (also known as THY1, thymocyte differentiating antigen) – claster of differentiation 90. GFRα1 - GDNF family receptor α1. DBA - lectin Dolichos biflorus agglutinin. VASA (also known as DEAD-box polypeptide 4, DDX4). NANOG, transcription factor related to the pluripotency of stem cells. POU5F1 (also known as Oct3/4) – POU domain, class 5, a transcription factor related to the pluripotency of stem cells. DAZL - deleted in azoospermialike, a protein localized in the nucleus of spermatogonia. Similar to several other molecular markers presented in the figure, an expression of this protein is stage-dependent. DAZL protein relocates to the cytoplasm during meiosis where it persists in spermatids and spermatozoa. ITGA6 - Integrin Subunit Alpha 6, protein, mammalian SSC molecular marker. Readers interested in the original reference for each phenotype-specific molecular marker should refer to the excellent reviews published elsewhere [26, 135, 185]