Abstract: This experiment was conducted to use four defined transcription factors that induced sertoli cells of transgenic mice to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Sertoli cells of transgenic mice were infected with retrovirus vectors that lead to the expression of Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc and Klf4, green fluorescence protein (GFP) was also transduced to monitor the infection efficiency as well as an indicator of exogenous gene in part of induction experiments. As early as 3 days post-infection, the cells started to express GFP and morphologically differ from uninfected sertoli cells. As the culture prolonged, the single cell was getting smaller and more cells aggregating to form colonies. At 16 days, the GFP were silenced and compact and round-shaped colonies formed. Alkaline phosphatase staining showed that iPS cells in the undifferentiated condition, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed that iPS cells could express the specific genes of embryonic stem cells, and could form embryoid body (EBs) which could differentiate into myriad cell types of three layer.

Key words: transgenic mice with red fluorescence protein; sertoli cells; in vitro induced reprogramming; induced pluripotent stem cells