Sertoli Cells Dictate Spermatogonial Stem Cell Niches in the Mouse Testis
Sertoli Cells Dictate Spermatogonial Stem Cell Niches in the Mouse Testis
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DOI：
10.1095/biolreprod.110.087320
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发表时间：
2011-04-01
影响因子：
3.6
通讯作者：
Oatley, Jon M.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Oatley, Melissa J.;Racicot, Karen E.;Oatley, Jon M.
成年男性持续的精子发生依赖于精原干细胞（ssc）的活性。一般来说，组织特异性干细胞群（如ssc）受到形成生态位微环境的支持细胞的影响。先前的研究提供了间接证据，表明几种体细胞群和间质血管系统影响SSC功能，但尚未描述单个生态位的协调者。本研究通过SSCs的功能移植，结合聚硫脲嘧啶（PTU）诱导的短暂性甲状腺功能减退对支持细胞含量的实验性改变，探讨了成年小鼠睾丸中支持细胞与SSCs的关系。将来自经ptu处理的供体小鼠的SSCs移植到正常受体小鼠的精管中显示，与来自未经ptu处理的供体小鼠睾丸的SSCs相比，SSCs增加了3倍以上。此外，使用经ptu处理的小鼠作为正常供体ssc移植的受体，与未经ptu处理的具有正常数量的Sertoli细胞的受体小鼠相比，可获得的壁龛增加了3倍以上。重要的是，与对照组相比，经ptu治疗的小鼠睾丸中与间质组织接壤的精管面积和与血管相关的精管百分比没有差异，这表明血管系统和间质支持细胞群都没有影响生态位数量的改变。总之，这些结果提供了直接证据，证明支持细胞是决定哺乳动物睾丸中ssc和生态位数量的关键体细胞群。
Sustained spermatogenesis in adult males relies on the activity of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). In general, tissue-specific stem cell populations such as SSCs are influenced by contributions of support cells that form niche microenvironments. Previous studies have provided indirect evidence that several somatic cell populations and the interstitial vasculature influence SSC functions, but an individual orchestrator of niches has not been described. In this study, functional transplantation of SSCs, in combination with experimental alteration of Sertoli cell content by polythiouracil (PTU)-induced transient hypothyroidism, was used to explore the relationship of Sertoli cells with SSCs in testes of adult mice. Transplantation of SSCs from PTU-treated donor mice into seminiferous tubules of normal recipient mice revealed a greater than 3-fold increase in SSCs compared to those from testes of non-PTU-treated donors. In addition, use of PTU-treated mice as recipients for transplantation of SSCs from normal donors revealed a greater than 3-fold increase of accessible niches compared to those of testes of non-PTU treated recipient mice with normal numbers of Sertoli cells. Importantly, the area of seminiferous tubules bordered by interstitial tissue and percentage of seminiferous tubules associated with blood vessels was found to be no different in testes of PTU-treated mice compared to controls, indicating that neither the vasculature nor interstitial support cell populations influenced the alteration of niche number. Collectively, these results provide direct evidence that Sertoli cells are the key somatic cell population dictating the number of SSCs and niches in mammalian testes.