The receptors for the steroid hormone testosterone and the peptide hormone follicle-stimulating hormone are localized to the somatic Sertoli cell in the seminiferous epithelium. In the rat, prolonged gonadotrophic hormone withdrawal has been shown to result in substantial germ cell apoptosis. Previous studies have shown that, coincident with the loss of germ cells following hypophysectomy, the ...

The FSH receptor (FSHR) is expressed only in granulosa cells of the ovary and Sertoli cells of the testis. This highly specific pattern of gene expression asserts that transcriptional events unique to these two cell types are responsible for activation of the FSHR gene. We have characterized the promoter elements required for activity of the rat FSHR gene in a Sertoli cell line MSC-1, primary c...

STUDY QUESTION Can human Sertoli cells cultured in vitro and that have formed an epithelium be used as a model to monitor toxicant-induced junction disruption and to better understand the mechanism(s) by which toxicants disrupt cell adhesion at the Sertoli cell blood-testis barrier (BTB)? SUMMARY ANSWER Our findings illustrate that human Sertoli cells cultured in vitro serve as a reliable sys...

Changes in Sertoli cell numbers and testicular structure during normal development and compensatory hypertrophy were assessed in crossbred Meishan x White Composite males. Boars were assigned at birth to unilateral castration at 1, 10, 56, or 112 days or to remain as intact controls through 220 days. The first testes removed were compared to assess testicular development. At 220 days, testicula...

The Sertoli cell is a highly differentiated somatic cell in the seminiferous epithelium of the testis. This cell is of prime importance for both testicular development and spermatogenesis. Sertoli cells proliferate up to the start of puberty and, due to their nursing functions, the final Sertoli cell number is well correlated to the amount of germ cells produced by the adult testis. The physiol...

INTRODUCTION Germ-line mutations in the micro-ribonucleic acid processing gene DICER1 have been shown to predispose to a subset of benign tumors susceptible to malignant transformation, including ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor, nontoxic multinodular goiter, multilocular cystic nephroma and pleuropulmonary blastoma, which can occur in children and young adults. This may be due to reduced Dcr-...