title: Wt1 deficiency causes undifferentiated spermatogonia accumulation and meiotic progression disruption in neonatal mice.
abstract: Spermatogenesis is a complex process involving the regulation of multiple cell types. As the only somatic cell type in the seminiferous tubules, Sertoli cells are essential for spermatogenesis throughout the spermatogenic cycle. The Wilms tumor gene, Wt1, is specifically expressed in the Sertoli cells of the mouse testes. In this study, we demonstrated that Wt1 is required for germ cell differentiation in the developing mouse testes. At 10 days post partum, Wt1-deficient testes exhibited clear meiotic arrest and undifferentiated spermatogonia accumulation in the seminiferous tubules. In addition, the expression of claudin11, a marker and indispensable component of Sertoli cell integrity, was impaired in Wt1(-/flox); Cre-ER(TM) testes. This observation was confirmed in in vitro testis cultures. However, the basal membrane of the seminiferous tubules in Wt1-deficient testes was not affected. Based on these findings, we propose that Sertoli cells' status is affected in Wt1-deficient mice, resulting in spermatogenesis failure.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Qiao-Song
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Xiao-Na
authors.initials: XN
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Su-Ren
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xi-Xia
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ri-Na
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Sha
authors.forename: Zhao-Yuan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Yi-Xun
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057167:Claudins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000378:metabolism*; D025721:WT1 Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D057167:Claudins; C492354:Cldn11 protein, mouse; D025721:WT1 Proteins