title: Identification and characterization of Xenopus tropicalis common progenitors of Sertoli and peritubular myoid cell lineages.
abstract: The origin of somatic cell lineages during testicular development is controversial in mammals. Employing basal amphibian tetrapod Xenopus tropicalis we established a cell culture derived from testes of juvenile male. Expression analysis showed transcription of some pluripotency genes and Sertoli cell, peritubular myoid cell and mesenchymal cell markers. Transcription of germline-specific genes was downregulated. Immunocytochemistry revealed that a majority of cells express vimentin and co-express Sox9 and smooth muscle α-actin (Sma), indicating the existence of a common progenitor of Sertoli and peritubular myoid cell lineages. Microinjection of transgenic, red fluorescent protein (RFP)-positive somatic testicular cells into the peritoneal cavity of X. tropicalis tadpoles resulted in cell deposits in heart, pronephros and intestine, and later in a strong proliferation and formation of cell-to-cell net growing through the tadpole body. Immunohistochemistry analysis of transplanted tadpoles showed a strong expression of vimentin in RFP-positive cells. No co-localization of Sox9 and Sma signals was observed during the first three weeks indicating their dedifferentiation to migratory-active mesenchymal cells recently described in human testicular biopsies.
authors.affiliation: Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Vinicna 7, Prague 2 128 44, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Tereza
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tlapakova
authors.affiliation: Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Vinicna 7, Prague 2 128 44, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Thi Minh Xuan
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Vinicna 7, Prague 2 128 44, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Marketa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vegrichtova
authors.affiliation: Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Vinicna 7, Prague 2 128 44, Czech Republic Laboratory of Gene Expression, Institute of Biotechnology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Videnska 1083, Prague 4 142 20, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sidova
authors.affiliation: Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Vinicna 7, Prague 2 128 44, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Strnadova
authors.affiliation: Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Vinicna 7, Prague 2 128 44, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blahova
authors.affiliation: Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Vinicna 7, Prague 2 128 44, Czech Republic vkrylov@natur.cuni.cz.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8678-7155
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Krylov
keywords: Common progenitor; Migration potential; Testicular somatic cells; Xenopus tropicalis