Morphological characteristics of male germ cells of rats in contact with Sertoli cells in vitro.
Fragments of seminiferous epithelium were prepared from 3-week-old rats. Although the Sertoli cells formed a monolayer, germ cells (spermatogonia and early spermatocytes) remained in association with them and were of normal ultrastructural appearance. Germ cells became completely separated from Sertoli cells after 3 weeks of culture in a chemically defined medium. The contact areas between Sertoli and germ cells were characterized by desmosome-like junctions while those between germ cells appeared to be pentalaminar.
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000166:cytology*; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology*