Spontaneous Spermatogenic Failure in the Marsupial Mouse Antechinus stuartii Macleay (Dasyuridae: Marsupialia)

1983 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 445 ◽  
Author(s):  
JB Kerr ◽  
MP Hedger
Keyword(s):  
Germ Cells ◽  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Cell Maturation ◽  
Seminiferous Tubules ◽  
Androgen Binding Protein ◽  
Antechinus Stuartii ◽  
Early Primary ◽  
Androgen Binding ◽  
Spermatogenic Failure ◽  
Sclerophyll Forests

Male Antechinus stuartii were collected from sclerophyll forests in Victoria at regular intervals from February to August. Spermatogenic function was assessed by means of light microscopy of testicular tissues fixed and embedded in epoxy plastic, from which a quantitative analysis of spermatogenesis was determined. Testis cytosols were prepared for assay of androgen-binding protein (ABP) and plasma was collected for androgen assay. Germ cell maturation proceeded normally until May, when failure of spermatogenesis was reflected by depletion of spermatogonia and early primary spermatocytes. However, germ cells of more advanced maturational stages were able to complete the spermatogenic process, yielding mature sperm first observed in the testis late in June. Failure of the seminiferous epithelium to replenish the numbers of early germ cells resulted in progressive depletion of germ cells in later months, leading in August to collapse of the seminiferous tubules which then contained only Sertoli cells and spermatogonia. Plasma androgens exhibited progressive elevation, reaching a peak in July and August, but testicular ABP was always undetectable. The findings suggest that the inability of the testis to maintain spermatogenesis results from intrinsic changes to testicular function exerted at the level of the spermatogonial population.

HORMONAL REGULATION OF ANDROGEN-BINDING PROTEIN IN LAMB TESTES

1980 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 443-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. CARREAU ◽  
M. A. DROSDOWSKY ◽  
C. PISSELET ◽  
M. COUROT
Keyword(s):  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Hormonal Regulation ◽  
Positive Response ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Seminiferous Tubules ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Supporting Cells ◽  
Testosterone Treatment ◽  
Androgen Binding Protein ◽  
Androgen Binding

Androgen-binding protein (ABP) was measured in the testes of 50-day-old lambs. The animals were hypophysectomized and treatment lasting for 5 days was begun 15 days after surgery. In hypophysectomized but otherwise untreated lambs (control group), no 5α-dihydrotestosterone binding was detectable in testicular cytosol. One out of four lambs gave a positive response with FSH treatment (25 fmol ABP/mg protein), whereas a restoration of the synthesis of ABP was noted in all LH-treated animals (19 ± 9 (s.e.m.) fmol ABP/mg, n = 4). No synergism between the two gonadotrophins was observed in lambs treated simultaneously with FSH and LH (19 ± 4 fmol ABP/mg, n = 5). Testosterone treatment elicited a greater response (37 ± 9 fmol ABP/mg, n = 5) than FSH or LH alone and the response was not increased by the simultaneous addition of FSH (38 ± 10 fmol ABP/mg, n = 5). Whatever the treatment, no influence was observed either on the number of supporting cells (undifferentiated Sertoli cells) or the length of the seminiferous tubules (P > 0·05); the diameter of tubules was significantly increased in the group treated with FSH and LH. It is postulated that testosterone may have a direct effect on the production of ABP by the supporting cells of the impuberal lamb.

scholarly journals NR5A1 is required for functional maturation of Sertoli cells during postnatal development

Reproduction ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 143 (5) ◽  
pp. 663-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomoko Kato ◽  
Michiyo Esaki ◽  
Ayami Matsuzawa ◽  
Yayoi Ikeda
Keyword(s):  
Postnatal Development ◽  
Sertoli Cell ◽  
Germ Cells ◽  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Leydig Cells ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Cell Maturation ◽  
Nuclear Antigen ◽  
Seminiferous Tubules ◽  
Orphan Nuclear Receptor

The orphan nuclear receptor steroidogenic factor 1 (NR5A1 (SF-1)) is expressed in both Sertoli and Leydig cells in the testes. This study investigates the postnatal development of the testes of a gonad-specific Nr5a1 knockout (KO) mouse, in which Nr5a1 was specifically inactivated. The KO testes appeared histologically normal from postnatal day 0 (P0) until P7. However, disorganized germ cells, vacuoles, and giant cells appeared by P14 in the seminiferous tubules of KO but not control mice. Expression of NR5A1 and various factors was examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The number of NR5A1-positive Sertoli cells in the KO testes was lower compared with controls at all the developmental stages and decreased to nearly undetectable levels by P21. IHC for anti-Müllerian hormone and p27, immature and mature Sertoli cell markers, respectively, indicated a delay in Sertoli cell maturation in the KO testes. The number of Sertoli cell-expressing factors involved in Sertoli cell differentiation including WT1, SOX9, GATA4, and androgen receptor were lower in the KO testes compared with controls. Furthermore, fewer proliferating cell nuclear antigen-positive proliferative germ cells were observed, and the number of TUNEL-labeled cells was significantly higher in the KO testes compared with controls at P14 and P21, indicating impaired spermatogenesis. IHC for CYP11A1 (SCC) indicated the presence of steroidogenic Leydig cells in the interstitium of the KO testes at all stages examined. These results suggest that NR5A1 is essential for Sertoli cell maturation and therefore spermatogenesis, during postnatal testis development.

scholarly journals Minireview: Transcriptional Regulation of Gonadal Development and Differentiation

Endocrinology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 146 (3) ◽  
pp. 1035-1042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Y. Park ◽  
J. Larry Jameson
Keyword(s):  
Germ Cells ◽  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Leydig Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Gonadal Development ◽  
Targeted Mutagenesis ◽  
Seminiferous Tubules ◽  
Molecular Pathways ◽  
Theca Cells ◽  
Main Cell

The embryonic gonad is undifferentiated in males and females until a critical stage when the sex chromosomes dictate its development as a testis or ovary. This binary developmental process provides a unique opportunity to delineate the molecular pathways that lead to distinctly different tissues. The testis comprises three main cell types: Sertoli cells, Leydig cells, and germ cells. The Sertoli cells and germ cells reside in seminiferous tubules where spermatogenesis occurs. The Leydig cells populate the interstitial compartment and produce testosterone. The ovary also comprises three main cell types: granulosa cells, theca cells, and oocytes. The oocytes are surrounded by granulosa and theca cells in follicles that grow and differentiate during characteristic reproductive cycles. In this review, we summarize the molecular pathways that regulate the distinct differentiation of these cell types in the developing testis and ovary. In particular, we focus on the transcription factors that initiate these cascades. Although most of the early insights into the sex determination pathway were based on human mutations, targeted mutagenesis in mouse models has revealed key roles for genes not anticipated to regulate gonadal development. Defining these molecular pathways provides the foundation for understanding this critical developmental event and provides new insight into the causes of gonadal dysgenesis.

Developmental stage- and spermatogenic cycle-specific expression of transcription factor GATA-1 in mouse Sertoli cells

Development ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 120 (7) ◽  
pp. 1759-1766 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Yomogida ◽  
H. Ohtani ◽  
H. Harigae ◽  
E. Ito ◽  
Y. Nishimune ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Developmental Stage ◽  
Sertoli Cell ◽  
Germ Cells ◽  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Germ Line ◽  
Mouse Testis ◽  
Seminiferous Tubules ◽  
Specific Expression

GATA-1 is an essential factor for the transcriptional activation of erythroid-specific genes, and is also abundantly expressed in a discrete subset of cells bordering the seminiferous epithelium in tubules of the murine testis. In examining normal and germ-line defective mutant mice, we show here that GATA-1 is expressed only in the Sertoli cell lineage in mouse testis. GATA-1 expression in Sertoli cells is induced concomitantly with the first wave of spermatogenesis, and GATA-1-positive cells are uniformly distributed among all tubules during prepubertal testis development. However, the number of GATA-1-positive cells declines thereafter and were found only in the peripheral zone of seminiferous tubules in stages VII, VIII and IX of spermatogenesis in the adult mouse testis. In contrast, virtually every Sertoli cell in mutant W/Wv, jsd/jsd or cryptorchid mice (all of which lack significant numbers of germ cells) expresses GATA-1, thus showing that the expression of this transcription factor is negatively controlled by the maturing germ cells. These observations suggest that transcription factor GATA-1 is a developmental stage- and spermatogenic cycle-specific regulator of gene expression in Sertoli cells.

Histochemical localization of enzymes of various metabolic pathways in the testes of buffaloes, goats and rams

1984 ◽  
Vol 102 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. S. Bilaspuri ◽  
S. S. Guraya
Keyword(s):  
Germ Cells ◽  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Metabolic Pathways ◽  
Maximum Activity ◽  
The Other ◽  
Seminiferous Tubules ◽  
Interstitial Tissue ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase ◽  
Enzyme Species

SummaryIsocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), β-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (β-OH-BDH) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH) were histochemically located in the testes of buffaloes, goats and rams. The enzyme activities varied with the enzyme, species and cell type. The activities in the seminiferous tubules were correlated with the stages of seminiferous epithelial cycle (SEC). During this cycle, the activities in the Sertoli cells, spermatogonia and spermatocytes remained unaltered in contrast to those in the spermatids. The activities of SDH, ICDH and MDH were relatively greater in buffalo, while goat and ram resembled each other quite closely. ICDH and MDH preferred NADP to NAD. In the three species, the activities of ICDH, SDH and MDH generally followed an increasing order. G-6-PDH was greater in the interstitial tissue of buffalo than in goat and ram; the maximum activity of this enzyme in each species was found in the spermatogonia. In comparison with G-6-PDH, GDH was less evident in the interstitial tissue of buffalo and goat; Sertoli cells and spermatogonia also showed relatively less MDH activity whereas the other germ cells may have relatively less, similar or more, GDH activity depending on the species. β-OHBDH activity was similar in the interstitial tissue of the three species, but in the seminiferous tubule, the activity was less in goat. But for GDH and β-OH-BDH which could show different results, the activities of other enzymes generally decreased from spermatogonia through spermatocytes to spermatids but increased during spermiogenesis. In spermatozoa, the enzymes were observed only in the mid-piece. The possible physiological significance of the results is discussed in relation to different metabolic pathways.

scholarly journals A novel Amh-Treck transgenic mouse line allows toxin-dependent loss of supporting cells in gonads

Reproduction ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 148 (6) ◽  
pp. H1-H9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mai Shinomura ◽  
Kasane Kishi ◽  
Ayako Tomita ◽  
Miyuri Kawasumi ◽  
Hiromi Kanezashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Germ Cells ◽  
Granulosa Cells ◽  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Seminiferous Tubules ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Partial Recovery ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Mouse Line ◽  
Cell Degeneration

Cell ablation technology is useful for studying specific cell lineages in a developing organ in vivo. Herein, we established a novel anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH)-toxin receptor-mediated cell knockout (Treck) mouse line, in which the diphtheria toxin (DT) receptor was specifically activated in Sertoli and granulosa cells in postnatal testes and ovaries respectively. In the postnatal testes of Amh-Treck transgenic (Tg) male mice, DT injection induced a specific loss of the Sertoli cells in a dose-dependent manner, as well as the specific degeneration of granulosa cells in the primary and secondary follicles caused by DT injection in Tg females. In the testes with depletion of Sertoli cell, germ cells appeared to survive for only several days after DT treatment and rapidly underwent cell degeneration, which led to the accumulation of a large amount of cell debris within the seminiferous tubules by day 10 after DT treatment. Transplantation of exogenous healthy Sertoli cells following DT treatment rescued the germ cell loss in the transplantation sites of the seminiferous epithelia, leading to a partial recovery of the spermatogenesis. These results provide not only in vivo evidence of the crucial role of Sertoli cells in the maintenance of germ cells, but also show that the Amh-Treck Tg line is a useful in vivo model of the function of the supporting cell lineage in developing mammalian gonads.

Effect of thyroid hormone on the pre- and post-natal development of the rat testis

1991 ◽  
Vol 129 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-NP ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Francavilla ◽  
G. Cordeschi ◽  
G. Properzi ◽  
L. Di Cicco ◽  
E. A. Jannini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Germ Cells ◽  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Seminiferous Tubules ◽  
Testicular Development ◽  
Postnatal Life ◽  
Fetal Life ◽  
Newborn Rats ◽  
Total Thyroxine ◽  
Delayed Maturation

ABSTRACT The relationship between thyroid function and testicular development in the rat was investigated. Hypothyroidism was induced during fetal or postnatal life by adding methimazole (MMI) to the drinking water of pregnant or lactating mothers. A group of newborn rats was treated with MMI and i.p. injections of l-tri-iodothyronine (l-T3). Hypothyroidism was shown by the reduced serum levels of total T3 and of total thyroxine (T4) in pregnant mothers and in pubertal rats. Testes were studied using light microscopy at 18 and 21 days post coitum or during puberty (21, 35 and 50 days after birth); serum levels of gonadotrophins were also evaluated in pubertal rats. Hypothyroidism had no effect on testicular development during fetal life and when induced in newborn rats it was associated at puberty with reduced serum levels of FSH and LH and with delayed maturation of the testis compared with control rats. The delay in maturation consisted of a reduction in the diameter of seminiferous tubules, and a reduction in the number of germ cells per tubule; this was associated with increased degeneration and arrested maturation of germ cells. In addition, Sertoli cells demonstrated retarded development, as indicated by a delay in the appearance of cytoplasmic lipids and in the development of a tubule lumen. Hormonal and morphological abnormalities were absent in rats treated with MMI plus l-T3. In conclusion, hypothyroidism occurring soon after birth caused reduced levels of gonadotrophins in the serum and a delay in pubertal spermatogenesis, possibly due to retarded differentiation of the Sertoli cells. Journal of Endocrinology (1991) 129, 35–42

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