Growth factors and regulatory genes controlling male spermatogonial proliferation and differentiation.

控制男性精原细胞增殖和分化的生长因子和调节基因。

• 批准号: nhmrc : 149209
• 负责人: Prof John Hutson
• 金额: $ 23.64万
• 依托单位国家: 澳大利亚
• 项目类别: NHMRC Project Grants
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 澳大利亚
• 起止时间: 2001-01-01 至 2003-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://researchdata.edu.au/growth-factors-regulatory-proliferation-differentiation/98213
• 关键词: Growth; factors; regulatory; genes; controlling

In newborn and prepubertal boys the testis contains germ cells which are at a premature stage of development and very suseptible to degeneration especially if the testes fail to descend to the scrotum. The molecules which are responsible for the health of these germ cells have been unknown and only recently the way has been opened for direct study of these factors. This has been made possible by a new assay, developed in our labarotory, in which we can grow these germ cells under defined conditions. This step forward has highlighted some areas of knowledge which need further research such as identification of the processes which stimulate gonocytes to grow and divide. We need to test growth factors, somatic cell factors and also isolate new genes which are associated with germ cells and their growth. This knowledge will have outcomes in two major areas. First, the new findings could be applied to treatment of infertility resulting from undescended testes in which a stimulus could be given to make the germ cells grow again. Second, work in developing longer term culture of germ cells coupled with introduction of mutations will enable us to make mutant mice with a specific gene abnormality, similar to transgenic or gene knockout mice. This technological development would prove less expensive and time consuming with more reproducible and direct outcomes. Mutant mouse technology is a powerful tool to determine the effects of individual genes in the whole animal (mouse).

新生儿和青春期前男孩的睾丸中含有生殖细胞，这些生殖细胞处于发育的早期阶段，非常容易变性，特别是如果睾丸不能下降到阴囊。负责这些生殖细胞健康的分子一直是未知的，直到最近才开辟了直接研究这些因素的途径。这是通过我们实验室开发的一种新的检测方法实现的，在这种方法中，我们可以在规定的条件下培养这些生殖细胞。这一进步突出了一些需要进一步研究的知识领域，如识别刺激生殖细胞生长和分裂的过程。我们需要测试生长因子，体细胞因子，并分离与生殖细胞及其生长相关的新基因。这方面的知识将在两个主要领域产生成果。首先，新的发现可以应用于治疗隐睾引起的不孕症，其中可以给予刺激使生殖细胞再次生长。第二，开发生殖细胞的长期培养以及引入突变的工作将使我们能够制造具有特定基因异常的突变小鼠，类似于转基因小鼠或基因敲除小鼠。这种技术发展将证明成本更低，耗时更少，结果更可重复和直接。突变小鼠技术是确定单个基因在整个动物（小鼠）中的作用的有力工具。