title: Identification and regulation of a stage-specific stem cell niche enriched by Nanog-positive spermatogonial stem cells in the mouse testis.
abstract: The ability of spermatogonial stem cells to acquire embryonic stem cell (ESC) properties in vitro has recently been of great interest. However, studies focused on the in vivo regulation of testicular stem cells have been hampered because the exact anatomical location of these cells is unknown. Moreover, no specialized stem cell niche substructure has been identified in the mammalian testis thus far. It has also been unclear whether the adult mammalian testis houses pluripotent stem cells or whether pluripotency can be induced only in vitro. Here, we demonstrate, for the first time, the existence of a Nanog-positive spermatogonial stem cell subpopulation located in stage XII of the mouse seminiferous epithelial cycle. The efficiency of the cells from seminiferous tubules with respect to prolonged pluripotent gene expression was correlated directly with stage-specific expression levels of Nanog and Oct4, demonstrating the previously unknown stage-specific regulation of undifferentiated spermatogonia (SPG). Testicular Nanog expression marked a radioresistant spermatogonial subpopulation, supporting its stem cell nature. Furthermore, we demonstrated that p21 acts as an upstream regulator of Nanog in SPG and mouse ESCs, and our results demonstrate that promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger is a specific marker of progenitor SPG. Additionally, we describe a novel method to cultivate Nanog-positive SPG in vitro. This study demonstrates the existence and location of a previously unknown stage-specific spermatogonial stem cell niche and reports the regulation of radioresistant spermatogonial stem cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology,University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu, Turku, Finland. satuve@utu.fi
authors.forename: Sami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ventelä
authors.forename: Juho-Antti
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mäkelä
authors.forename: Jarmo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kulmala
authors.forename: Jukka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Westermarck
authors.forename: Jorma
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Toppari
mesh_terms: D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000528:radiation effects; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011836:Radiation Tolerance / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000378:metabolism*; D055153:Stem Cell Niche / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; C475540:Nanog protein, mouse; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; C494174:Pou5f1 protein, mouse