Stem cells in various somatic tissues (bone marrow, skeletal muscle) can be identified by the `Side Population' marker based on Hoechst 33342 efflux. We show that mouse testicular cells also display a `Side Population' that express Bcrp1 mRNA, the ABC transporter responsible for Hoechst efflux in hematopoietic cells. Inhibition of Hoechst efflux by specific BCRP1 inhibitor Ko143 show that germinal `Side Population' phenotype is dependent on BCRP1 activity. Analysis of two well-defined models of altered spermatogenesis(W/Wv mutants and cryptorchid male mice) and RNA expression studies of differentiation markers demonstrate that germinal `Side Population' contains spermatogonial cells. In addition,α 6-integrin and Stra8 germinal stem cell markers, are expressed in the `Side Population'. In vivo repopulation assay clearly establishes that testis `Side Population' in adult mice is highly enriched in male germ stem cells.
`Side Population' cells in adult mouse testis express Bcrp1 gene and are enriched in spermatogonia and germinal stem cells
Bruno Lassalle, Henri Bastos, Jean Paul Louis, Lydia Riou, Jacques Testart, Bernard Dutrillaux, Pierre Fouchet, Isabelle Allemand; `Side Population' cells in adult mouse testis express Bcrp1 gene and are enriched in spermatogonia and germinal stem cells. Development 15 January 2004; 131 (2): 479–487. doi: https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.00918
Download citation file:
Sign in
Client Account
Sign in via your institution
Sign in via ShibbolethAdvertisement
About us

Our publisher, The Company of Biologists, turns 100 this year. Read about the history of the Company and find out what Sarah Bray, our Chair of the Board of Directors, has to say.
Biologists @ 100 - join us in Liverpool in March 2025

We are excited to invite you to a unique scientific conference, celebrating the 100-year anniversary of The Company of Biologists, and bringing together our different communities. The conference will incorporate the Spring Meetings of the BSCB and the BSDB, the JEB Symposium Sensory Perception in a Changing World and a DMM programme on antimicrobial resistance. Find out more and register by 28 February 2025 to join us in March 2025 in Liverpool, UK.
Call for papers – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues

Development invites you to submit your latest research to our upcoming special issue – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues. This issue will be coordinated by Guest Editors Meritxell Huch (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Germany) and Mansi Srivastava (Harvard University and Museum of Comparative Zoology, USA), working alongside our team of academic Editors. Submit your articles by 15 May 2025.
A case for broadening our view of mechanism in developmental biology

In this Perspective, B. Duygu Özpolat and colleagues survey researchers on their views on what it takes to infer mechanism in developmental biology. They examine what factors shape our idea of what we mean by ‘mechanism’ and suggest a path forward that embraces a broad outlook on the diversity of studies that advance knowledge in our field.
In preprints
Did you know that Development publishes perspectives on recent preprints? These articles help our readers navigate the ever-growing preprint literature. We welcome proposals for ‘In preprints’ articles, so please do get in touch if you’d like to contribute.