Sertoli cell is the “nurse” in testes that regulates germ cell proliferation and differentiation. One Sertoli cell supports a certain number of germ cells during these processes. Thus, it is the determinant of male reproductive capability. Sertoli cells originate from the primitive gonads during embryonic stage and their proliferations continue throughout the pre-pubertal stage. The proliferati...

Sertoli cells, the support cells of mammalian spermatogenesis, are regulated by a number of nuclear factors and express retinoblastoma (RB) tumor suppressor protein. We hypothesized that RB is an important mediator of Sertoli cell tumorigenesis in inhibin alpha knockout (Inha KO) mice. In our previous mouse studies, we found that conditional knockout (cKO) of Rb in Sertoli cells caused progress...

The diagnosis and subclassification of Sertoli cell tumors (SCT) of the testis are often challenging to general surgical pathologists because of the rarity of the tumors. Immunohistochemical study to date has limited diagnostic value. Nuclear localization of β-catenin, which correlated closely with CTNNB1 gene mutation, was recently reported in SCTs. We investigated the utility of β-catenin nuc...

PGD2 synthetase (PGD-S; PGH2 D-isomerase; EC 5.3.99.2) is a bifunctional protein first identified in the mammalian brain. It acts as a PGD2-producing enzyme and a retinoid transporter. PGD-S is present in the testis, where its protein and messenger RNA levels are similar to those in the brain. In view of its diversified regulatory functions, we investigated its regulation using primary cultures...

Sertoli cells play critical roles in regulating spermatogenesis and they can be reprogrammed to the cells of other lineages, highlighting that they have significant applications in reproductive and regenerative medicine. The fate determinations of Sertoli cells are regulated precisely by epigenetic factors. However, the expression, roles, and targets of microRNA (miRNA) in human Sertoli cells r...

Background Follicle stimulating hormone and testosterone stimulate Sertoli cells to support germ cell function and differentiation. During mini-puberty, when gonadotropin (GnRH) stimulates increases in plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone levels, gonocytes are transformed into Ad spermatogonia. In cryptorchidism, impaired gonadotropin secretion during mini-puberty results in insuffi...

Retinoblastoma protein (RB) plays crucial roles in cell cycle control and cellular differentiation. Specifically, RB impairs the G(1) to S phase transition by acting as a repressor of the E2F family of transcriptional activators while also contributing towards terminal differentiation by modulating the activity of tissue-specific transcription factors. To examine the role of RB in Sertoli cells...