Intercellular adhesion molecule 1: recent findings and new concepts involved in mammalian spermatogenesis.
Spermatogenesis, the process of spermatozoa production, is regulated by several endocrine factors, including testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and estradiol 17β. For spermatogenesis to reach completion, developing germ cells must traverse the seminiferous epithelium while remaining transiently attached to Sertoli cells. If germ cell adhesion were to be compromised for a period of time longer than usual, germ cells would slough from the seminiferous epithelium and infertility would result. Presently, Sertoli-germ cell adhesion is known to be mediated largely by classical and desmosomal cadherins. More recent studies, however, have begun to expand long-standing concepts and to examine the roles of other proteins such as intercellular adhesion molecules. In this review, we focus on the biology of intercellular adhesion molecules in the mammalian testis, hoping that this information is useful in the design of future studies.
Center for Biomedical Research, Population Council, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, United States. Electronic address: mruk@popcbr.rockefeller.edu.
Dolores D
DD
Mruk
Center for Biomedical Research, Population Council, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, United States.
Xiang
X
Xiao
Center for Biomedical Research, Population Council, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, United States.
Marta
M
Lydka
Center for Biomedical Research, Population Council, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, United States.
Michelle W M
MW
Li
Institute of Zoology, Department of Endocrinology, The Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.
Barbara
B
Bilinska
Center for Biomedical Research, Population Council, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, United States.
C Yan
CY
Cheng
D000818:Animals; D001814:Blood-Testis Barrier / Q000502:physiology; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D012670:Seminiferous Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology*
D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1
Cell junction; Germ cell; ICAM; Sertoli cell; Testis