The missing niche for spermatogonial stem cells: do blood vessels point the way?
Although spermatogonial stem cell niches have been defined in lower organisms, their definitive localization in mammalian seminiferous tubules has been elusive. In a recent Science paper, Yoshida et al. (2007) elegantly demonstrated a vascular and interstitial tissue-associated niche for undifferentiated spermatogonia in the mouse.
Shetty
Gunapala
G
Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA. sgunapal@mdanderson.org
Meistrich
Marvin L
ML
D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000166:cytology*; D002455:Cell Division; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000166:cytology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*