Wnt signaling in testis development: Unnecessary or essential?
Testis development is a fundamental process in sexual development and reproduction. It is under the regulation of multiple factors. Wnt signaling pathway is a classical pathway, which plays an essential role during early development. From a traditional view, Wnt signaling serves as a key regulator of female reproductive system. However, its role in testis development is relatively controversial. This paper reviews Wnt signaling's part in the major events during testis development, including primordial germ cell specification, proliferation and migration, testis determination, spermatogenesis and somatic cell regulation, and summarizes Wnt signaling's impact on testis-related disorders. We evaluate the outcomes of current studies in the field and suggest future research directions.
The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
Wei-Lai
WL
Dong
The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
Fu-Qing
FQ
Tan
The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: wxyang@spermlab.org.
Wan-Xi
WX
Yang
D000818:Animals; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012098:Reproduction / Q000235:genetics; D013737:Testis / Q000254:growth & development*; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000235:genetics*
Sertoli cell; Spermatogenesis; Testis determination; Testis development; Wnt signaling