Cell type-specific Ca2+ signals govern mouse seminiferous tubule physiology
PLoS Biology, vol. 24, pp. e3003910
Abstract
Spermatogenesis, the complex developmental process of male germ cell proliferation, differentiation, and maturation, is the basis of male fertility. In the seminiferous tubules of the testes, spermatozoa are constantly generated from spermatogonial stem cells through a stereotyped sequence of divisions. The basic physiological principles, however, that control seminiferous tubule function remain poorly, if at all, defined. Here, we address cell type-specific seminiferous tubule signaling in vitro and in vivo. By monitoring changes in cellular Ca2+ concentration at high spatiotemporal resolution, we show that the three cell types that build the seminiferous epithelium-Sertoli, peritubular, and germ cells-each display unique Ca2+ signaling patterns. We reveal the underlying mechanisms and demonstrate that Sertoli cell Ca2+ signals are under gonadotropin regulation. Together, our experimental findings provide insights into seminiferous tubule signaling, its mechanistic basis, and its endocrine control.
Authors 16
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
Research Training Group 2416 MultiSenses - MultiScales, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Imaging and Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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University of Münster · University Hospital Münster
Affiliation as printed
Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Imaging and Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
Research Training Group 2416 MultiSenses - MultiScales, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
Affiliation as printed
Center for Digital Medicine, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Cognitive Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
Research Training Group 2416 MultiSenses - MultiScales, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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