An in vitro tubule assay identifies HGF as a morphogen for the formation of seminiferous tubules in the postnatal mouse testis.
We have been working with a recently immortalized Sertoli cell line, SF7, that appears to produce sleeves, or hollow tubules, when cultivated on a layer of growth factor-reduced Matrigel (GFR-Matrigel) in medium supplemented with serum. We tried to determine which components of GFR-Matrigel and serum provide the environment needed for tubule formation. While laminin and collagen IV were essential for the formation of flat cords, none of the basement membrane constituents, when taken alone or in combination, would support the formation of tubules in minimal culture medium. Moreover, none of the growth factors present in GFR-Matrigel could induce tubulogenesis. Recently, much attention has been focused upon the role of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor c-met in the induction of tubulogenesis by epithelial cells. Therefore, we investigated the expression of HGF/c-met in the mouse testis at different postnatal stages and in the adult and evaluated the contribution of HGF/c-met in the production of Sertoli cell tubules by SF7 and primary Sertoli cells in vitro. Our results confirm that laminin and collagen IV are essential for the formation of testicular cords and reveal that HGF/c-met are necessary for the further remodeling of these cords into tubules.
van der Wee
K
K
Department of Biology, University of Dayton, 300 College Park, Dayton, Ohio 45469, USA.
Hofmann
M C
MC
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000502:physiology; D013737:Testis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology
D017931:DNA Primers; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met