White-spotting mutations affect the regenerative differentiation of testicular germ cells: demonstration by experimental cryptorchidism and its surgical reversal.
The effect of white-spotting (W) mutations on differentiation of testicular germ cells was investigated by using experimental cryptorchidism and its surgical reversal. All mutant mice used in this study (Wv/+, Wsh/+, Wf/+ and Wf/Wf) showed normal fertility and well-ordered spermatogenesis, as in congenic +/+ mice. In the cryptorchid testis, which contains only type A spermatogonia as germ cells, the number and the proliferative activity of type A spermatogonia in mutant mice were comparable to +/+ mice. On the other hand, surgical reversal of the cryptorchid testis in mutants resulted in impaired regenerative differentiation of germ cells. Although complete recovery of spermatogenesis was observed in +/+ mice, testicular weight in Wsh/+, Wf/+ and Wf/Wf mice recovered to approximately 60-70% of intact levels, and some portions of seminiferous epithelium showed incomplete spermatogenesis. In Wv/+ mice, however, ability to recover the weight was completely lost, and only type A spermatogonia existed as germ cells in seminiferous tubules 3 mo after surgical reversal. These results suggest that W mutation affects the differentiation through type A spermatogonia to type B spermatogonia, indicating the functional significance of W (c-kit) in early spermatogenesis.
Koshimizu
U
U
Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Japan.
Sawada
K
K
Tajima
Y
Y
Watanabe
D
D
Nishimune
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D009154:Mutation; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes / Q000502:physiology*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D013737:Testis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000637:transplantation