Elucidation of essential growth factors for mouse spermatogenesis using organ culture method.

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In the present study, using a testis tissue culture method, we challenged to treat a spermatogenic defect mutant without any genetic manipulations. The Sl/Sld mouse has only a few primitive spermatogonia as germ cells in the testis, lacking any sign of spermatogenesis, due to mutations of the c-Kit ligand gene (Kitl) which cause the loss of membrane-bound-type KITL from the surface of Sertoli cells. We succeeded in inducing the complete spermatogenesis of Sl/Sld mutant mice by culturing their testis tissues in culture media containing KITL and colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1).To elucidate the mechanism of CSF-1's effect on spermatogenesis, we performed transplantation experiment of spermatogonial stem cells derived from CSF-1 receptor knock out mouse.