title: Juvenile spermatogonial depletion (jsd): a genetic defect of germ cell proliferation of male mice.
abstract: Adult C57BL/6J male mice homozygous for the mutant gene, juvenile spermatogonial depletion (jsd/jsd), show azoosper4ia and testes reduced to one-third normal size, but are otherwise phenotypically normal. In contrast, adult jsd/jsd females are fully fertile. This feature facilitated mapping the jsd gene to the centromeric end of chromosome 1; the gene order is jsd-Isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (Idh-1)-Peptidase-3 (Pep-3). Analysis of testicular histology from jsd/jsd mice aged 3-10 wk revealed that these mutant mice experience one wave of spermatogenesis, but fail to continue mitotic proliferation of type A spermatogonial cells at the basement membrane. As a consequence, histological sections of testes from mutant mice aged 8-52 wk showed tubules populated by modest numbers of Sertoli cells, with only an occasional spermatogonial cell. Some sperm with normal morphology and motility were observed in epididymides of 6.5- but not in 8-wk or older mutants. Treatment with retinol failed to alter the loss of spermatogenesis in jsd/jsd mice. Analyses of serum hormones of jsd/jsd males showed that testosterone levels were normal at all ages--a finding corroborated by normal seminal vesicle and vas deferens weights, whereas serum follicle-stimulating hormone levels were significantly elevated in mutant mice from 4 to 20 wk of age. We hypothesize the jsd/jsd male may be deficient in proliferative signals from Sertoli cells that are needed for spermatogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609.
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Beamer
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Cunliffe-Beamer
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Shultz
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Langley
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Roderick
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006720:Homozygote; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000473:pathology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000473:pathology*; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D014801:Vitamin A