title: The telomerase activity of adult mouse testis resides in the spermatogonial alpha6-integrin-positive side population enriched in germinal stem cells.
abstract: Testis is one of the organs with the most telomerase activity in the adult. This activity protects chromosomes from telomere attrition and ensures the transmission of full-length chromosomes to progeny. Little is known about telomerase activity during adult germ cell differentiation, however. We demonstrate here that the telomerase activity of adult mouse testis resides in the alpha6-integrin-positive Side Population containing spermatogonia and enriched in spermatogonial stem cells. The telomerase activity of these cells fell upon entry into meiosis and during the subsequent spermiogenesis. In addition, the telomerase activity of cells in various stages of differentiation was unaffected by aging and, notably, remained high in the alpha6-integrin-positive Side Population.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Gamétogenèse, Apoptose et Génotoxicité (LGAG)/Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité, Départment de Radiobiologie et Radiopathologie, Direction des Sciences du Vivant, CEA, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Riou
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bastos
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lassalle
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coureuil
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Testart
authors.forename: François D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Boussin
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Allemand
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fouchet
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism; D039503:Integrin alpha6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000201:enzymology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000201:enzymology*; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology*; D060245:Tetraspanin 29; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; C554870:Cd9 protein, mouse; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D039503:Integrin alpha6; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D060245:Tetraspanin 29; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; D019098:Telomerase