Relative volume of sertoli cells in monkey seminiferous epithelium: A stereological analysis

1977 ◽  
Vol 150 (3) ◽  
pp. 501-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Carlos Cavicchia ◽  
Martin Dym
Keyword(s):  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Relative Volume ◽  
Seminiferous Epithelium ◽  
Stereological Analysis

scholarly journals Expression of beta-nerve growth factor and its receptor in rat seminiferous epithelium: specific function at the onset of meiosis.

1992 ◽  
Vol 117 (3) ◽  
pp. 629-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Parvinen ◽  
M Pelto-Huikko ◽  
O Söder ◽  
R Schultz ◽  
A Kaipia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Nerve Growth Factor ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Seminiferous Epithelium ◽  
Receptor Protein ◽  
Tyrosine Kinase Receptor ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Nerve Growth ◽  
Ngf Receptor

beta-Nerve growth factor (NGF) is expressed in spermatogenic cells and has testosterone-downregulated low-affinity receptors on Sertoli cells suggesting a paracrine role in the regulation of spermatogenesis. An analysis of the stage-specific expression of NGF and its low affinity receptor during the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium in the rat revealed NGF mRNA and protein at all stages of the cycle. Tyrosine kinase receptor (trk) mRNA encoding an essential component of the high-affinity NGF receptor was also present at all stages. In contrast, expression of low affinity NGF receptor mRNA was only found in stages VIIcd and VIII of the cycle, the sites of onset of meiosis. The low-affinity NGF receptor protein was present in the plasma membrane of the apical Sertoli cell processes as well as in the basal plasma membrane of these cells at stages VIIcd to XI. NGF was shown to stimulate in vitro DNA synthesis of seminiferous tubule segments with preleptotene spermatocytes at the onset of meiosis while other segments remained nonresponsive. We conclude that NGF is a meiotic growth factor that acts through Sertoli cells.

The murine seminiferous epithelial cycle is pre-figured in the Sertoli cells of the embryonic testis

Development ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 129 (3) ◽  
pp. 635-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula M. Timmons ◽  
Peter W. J. Rigby ◽  
Françoise Poirier
Keyword(s):  
Germ Cell ◽  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Seminiferous Epithelium ◽  
Developmental Origins ◽  
Sperm Production ◽  
Functional Heterogeneity ◽  
Adult Testis ◽  
Germ Cell Apoptosis ◽  
Cell Lineages

The seminiferous epithelial cycle and spermatogenic wave are conserved features of vertebrate spermatogenic organisation that reflect the need for the rigorous maintenance of sperm production. Although the cycle and the wave of the adult seminiferous epithelium have been well characterised, particularly in rodent species, their developmental origins are unknown. We show that the Sertoli cells of the pre-pubertal mouse, including those of the germ cell-deficient XXSxra mutant, exhibit coordinated, cyclical patterns of gene expression, presaging the situation in the adult testis, where Sertoli cell function is coupled to the spermatogenic cycle. In the case of the galectin 1 gene (Lgals1), localised differential expression in the Sertoli cells can be traced back to neonatal and embryonic stages, making this the earliest known molecular marker of functional heterogeneity in mammalian testis cords. In addition, the timing of germ cell apoptosis in normal pre-pubertal testes is linked to the temporal cycle of the Sertoli cells. These data show that the cycle and wave of the murine seminiferous epithelium originate at a much earlier stage in development than was previously known, and that their maintenance in the early postnatal cords depends exclusively on the somatic cell lineages.

Tubular Fluid Secretion in the Seminiferous Epithelium: Ion Transporters and Aquaporins in Sertoli Cells

2010 ◽  
Vol 236 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luís Rato ◽  
Sílvia Socorro ◽  
José E. B. Cavaco ◽  
Pedro F. Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Fluid Secretion ◽  
Seminiferous Epithelium ◽  
Ion Transporters

148. HORMONALLY REGULATED miRNAS TARGET THE TUBULOBULBAR COMPLEX IN THE TESTIS

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 66
Author(s):  
P. K. Nicholls ◽  
P. G. Stanton ◽  
K. L. Walton ◽  
R. I. McLachlan ◽  
L. O'Donnell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sertoli Cell ◽  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Hormonal Regulation ◽  
Focal Adhesions ◽  
Intercellular Junctions ◽  
Protein Translation ◽  
Seminiferous Epithelium ◽  
Seminiferous Tubules ◽  
Micro Rnas

Spermatogenesis is absolutely dependent on follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and androgens; acute suppression of these hormones inhibits germ cell development and thus sperm production. The removal of intercellular junctions and release of spermatids by the Sertoli cell, a process known as spermiation, is particularly sensitive to acute hormone suppression(1). To define the molecular mechanisms that mediate FSH and androgen effects in the testis, we investigated the expression and hormonal regulation of micro-RNAs (miRNA), small non-coding RNAs that regulate protein translation and modify cellular responses. By array analysis, we identified 23 miRNAs that were upregulated >2-fold in stage VIII seminiferous tubules following hormone suppression, and in vitro in primary Sertoli cells. We subsequently validated the expression and hormonal regulation of several miRNAs, including miR-23b, -30d and -690 by quantitative PCR in primary Sertoli cells. Bioinformatic analysis of potential targets of hormonally-suppressed miRNAs identified genes associated with Focal adhesions (54 genes, P = –ln(17.97)) and the Regulation of the actin cytoskeleton (52 genes, P = –ln(10.16)), processes known to be intimately associated with adhesion of spermatids to Sertoli cells(2, 3). Furthermore, this analysis identified numerous components of the testicular tubulobulbar complex (TBC) as being targets of hormonally sensitive miRNAs. The TBC is a podosome-like structure between Sertoli and adjacent spermatids in the testis, which internalises intact inter-cellular junctions by endocytotic mechanisms prior to spermiation(4). We then demonstrate the hormonal regulation of predicted miRNA target proteins, and validate novel inhibitory miRNA interactions with Pten, nWASP, Eps15 and Picalm by luciferase knockdown in vitro. We hypothesise that hormonally suppressed miRNAs inhibit TBC function, and subsequently, endocytosis of intercellular junctions. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that hormonal suppression in the testis stimulates the expression of a subset of Sertoli cell miRNAs that are likely regulators of cell adhesion protein networks involved in spermiation. (1) Saito K, O’Donnell L, McLachlan RI, Robertson DM 2000 Spermiation failure is a major contributor to early spermatogenic suppression caused by hormone withdrawal in adult rats. Endocrinology 141: 2779–2.(2) O’Donnell L, Stanton PG, Bartles JR, Robertson DM 2000 Sertoli cell ectoplasmic specializations in the seminiferous epithelium of the testosterone-suppressed adult rat. Biol Reprod 63: 99–108.(3) Beardsley A, Robertson DM, O’Donnell L 2006 A complex containing alpha6beta1-integrin and phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase between Sertoli cells and elongated spermatids during spermatid release from the seminiferous epithelium. J Endocrinol 190(3): 759–70.(4) Young JS, Guttman JA, Vaid KS, Vogl AW 2009 Tubulobulbar complexes are intercellular podosome-like structures that internalize intact intercellular junctions during epithelial remodeling events in the rat testis. Biol Reprod 80: 162–74.

scholarly journals Dynein 1 supports spermatid transport and spermiation during spermatogenesis in the rat testis

2018 ◽  
Vol 315 (5) ◽  
pp. E924-E948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing Wen ◽  
Elizabeth I. Tang ◽  
Wing-yee Lui ◽  
Will M. Lee ◽  
Chris K. C. Wong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Germ Cell ◽  
Heavy Chain ◽  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Cytoplasmic Dynein ◽  
Seminiferous Epithelium ◽  
Organelle Transport ◽  
Cellular Events

In the mammalian testis, spermatogenesis is dependent on the microtubule (MT)-specific motor proteins, such as dynein 1, that serve as the engine to support germ cell and organelle transport across the seminiferous epithelium at different stages of the epithelial cycle. Yet the underlying molecular mechanism(s) that support this series of cellular events remain unknown. Herein, we used RNAi to knockdown cytoplasmic dynein 1 heavy chain (Dync1h1) and an inhibitor ciliobrevin D to inactivate dynein in Sertoli cells in vitro and the testis in vivo, thereby probing the role of dynein 1 in spermatogenesis. Both treatments were shown to extensively induce disruption of MT organization across Sertoli cells in vitro and the testis in vivo. These changes also perturbed the transport of spermatids and other organelles (such as phagosomes) across the epithelium. These changes thus led to disruption of spermatogenesis. Interestingly, the knockdown of dynein 1 or its inactivation by ciliobrevin D also perturbed gross disruption of F-actin across the Sertoli cells in vitro and the seminiferous epithelium in vivo, illustrating there are cross talks between the two cytoskeletons in the testis. In summary, these findings confirm the role of cytoplasmic dynein 1 to support the transport of spermatids and organelles across the seminiferous epithelium during the epithelial cycle of spermatogenesis.

scholarly journals Formin 1 Regulates Microtubule and F-Actin Organization to Support Spermatid Transport During Spermatogenesis in the Rat Testis

Endocrinology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 157 (7) ◽  
pp. 2894-2908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Li ◽  
Dolores D. Mruk ◽  
Elizabeth I. Tang ◽  
Will M. Lee ◽  
Chris K. C. Wong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Protein Trafficking ◽  
Cell Shape ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Cell Movement ◽  
Seminiferous Epithelium ◽  
Intracellular Protein ◽  
Down Regulation ◽  
Actin Organization ◽  
Support Cell

Formin 1 confers actin nucleation by generating long stretches of actin microfilaments to support cell movement, cell shape, and intracellular protein trafficking. Formin 1 is likely involved in microtubule (MT) dynamics due to the presence of a MT binding domain near its N terminus. Here, formin 1 was shown to structurally interact with α-tubulin, the building block of MT, and also end-binding protein 1 (a MT plus [+]-end-binding protein that stabilizes MT) in the testis. Knockdown of formin 1 in Sertoli cells with an established tight junction barrier was found to induce down-regulation of detyrosinated MT (a stabilized form of MT), and disorganization of MTs, in which MTs were retracted from the cell cortical zone, mediated through a loss of MT polymerization and down-regulation of Akt1/2 signaling kinase. An efficient knockdown of formin 1 in the testis reduced the number of track-like structures conferred by MTs and F-actin considerably, causing defects in spermatid and phagosome transport across the seminiferous epithelium. In summary, formin1 maintains MT and F-actin track-like structures to support spermatid and phagosome transport across the seminiferous epithelium during spermatogenesis.

scholarly journals Cyclic Expression of Endothelin-converting Enzyme-1 Mediates the Functional Regulation of Seminiferous Tubule Contraction

1999 ◽  
Vol 145 (5) ◽  
pp. 1027-1038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonella Tripiciano ◽  
Carmelina Peluso ◽  
Anna Rita Morena ◽  
Fioretta Palombi ◽  
Mario Stefanini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sertoli Cell ◽  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Seminiferous Tubule ◽  
Seminiferous Epithelium ◽  
Seminiferous Tubules ◽  
Converting Enzyme ◽  
Myoid Cells ◽  
Endothelin 1 ◽  
Endothelin Converting Enzyme ◽  
Cyclic Expression

The potent smooth muscle agonist endothelin-1 (ET-1) is involved in the local control of seminiferous tubule contractility, which results in the forward propulsion of tubular fluid and spermatozoa, through its action on peritubular myoid cells. ET-1, known to be produced in the seminiferous epithelium by Sertoli cells, is derived from the inactive intermediate big endothelin-1 (big ET-1) through a specific cleavage operated by the endothelin-converting enzyme (ECE), a membrane-bound metalloprotease with ectoenzymatic activity. The data presented suggest that the timing of seminiferous tubule contractility is controlled locally by the cyclic interplay between different cell types. We have studied the expression of ECE by Sertoli cells and used myoid cell cultures and seminiferous tubule explants to monitor the biological activity of the enzymatic reaction product. Northern blot analysis showed that ECE-1 (and not ECE-2) is specifically expressed in Sertoli cells; competitive enzyme immunoassay of ET production showed that Sertoli cell monolayers are capable of cleaving big ET-1, an activity inhibited by the ECE inhibitor phosphoramidon. Microfluorimetric analysis of intracellular calcium mobilization in single cells showed that myoid cells do not respond to big endothelin, nor to Sertoli cell plain medium, but to the medium conditioned by Sertoli cells in the presence of big ET-1, resulting in cell contraction and desensitization to further ET-1 stimulation; in situ hybridization analysis shows regional differences in ECE expression, suggesting that pulsatile production of endothelin by Sertoli cells (at specific “stages” of the seminiferous epithelium) may regulate the cyclicity of tubular contraction; when viewed in a scanning electron microscope, segments of seminiferous tubules containing the specific stages characterized by high expression of ECE were observed to contract in response to big ET-1, whereas stages with low ECE expression remained virtually unaffected. These data indicate that endothelin-mediated spatiotemporal control of rhythmic tubular contractility might be operated by Sertoli cells through the cyclic expression of ECE-1, which is, in turn, dependent upon the timing of spermatogenesis.

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