1.Rescue of male infertility through correcting a genetic mutation causing meiotic arrest in spermatogonial stem cells.
Ying-Hua WANG ; Meng YAN ; Xi ZHANG ; Xin-Yu LIU ; Yi-Fu DING ; Chong-Ping LAI ; Ming-Han TONG ; Jin-Song LI
Asian Journal of Andrology 2021;23(6):590-599
Azoospermia patients who carry a monogenetic mutation that causes meiotic arrest may have their biological child through genetic correction in spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). However, such therapy for infertility has not been experimentally investigated yet. In this study, a mouse model with an X-linked testis-expressed 11 (TEX11) mutation (Tex11
Adult Germline Stem Cells/metabolism*
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Animals
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Azoospermia/genetics*
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Infertility, Male/therapy*
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Male
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Mice
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Mutation/genetics*
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Spermatogenesis/genetics*
2.Strawberry Notch 1 (SBNO1) promotes proliferation of spermatogonial stem cells via the noncanonical Wnt pathway in mice.
Cong SHEN ; Jun YU ; Xi ZHANG ; Chen-Chen LIU ; Yue-Shuai GUO ; Jia-Wei ZHU ; Ke ZHANG ; Yi YU ; Ting-Ting GAO ; Shen-Min YANG ; Hong LI ; Bo ZHENG ; Xiao-Yan HUANG
Asian Journal of Andrology 2019;21(4):345-350
While it is known that spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) initiate the production of male germ cells, the mechanisms of SSC self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation remain poorly understood. We have previously identified Strawberry Notch 1 (SBNO1), a vertebrate strawberry notch family protein, in the proteome profile for mouse SSC maturation and differentiation, revealing SBNO1 is associated with neonatal testicular development. To explore further the location and function of SBNO1 in the testes, we performed Sbno1 gene knockdown in mice to study the effects of SBNO1 on neonatal testicular and SSC development. Our results revealed that SBNO1 is required for neonatal testicular and SSC development in mice. Particularly, in vitro Sbno1 gene knockdown with morpholino oligonucleotides caused a reduction of SSCs and inactivation of the noncanonical Wnt pathway, through Jun N-terminal kinases. Our study suggests SBNO1 maintains SSCs by promoting the noncanonical Wnt pathway.
Adult Germline Stem Cells/metabolism*
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Animals
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Cell Proliferation/physiology*
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Gene Knockdown Techniques
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Male
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Mice
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Proteome
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Repressor Proteins/metabolism*
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Testis/metabolism*
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Wnt Signaling Pathway/physiology*
3.Hedgehog in the Drosophila testis niche: what does it do there?
Zhao ZHANG ; Chenyu PAN ; Yun ZHAO
Protein & Cell 2013;4(9):650-655
Stem cell niche is a specialized microenvironment crucial to self-renewal. The testis in Drosophila contains two different types of stem cells, the germline stem cells and the somatic cyst stem cells that are sustained by their respective niche signals, thus is a good system for studying the interaction between the stem cells and their hosting niche. The JAK-STAT and BMP pathways are known to play critical roles in the self-renewal of different kinds of stem cells, but the roles of several other pathways have emerged recently in a complex signaling network in the testis niche. Reports of independent observations from three research groups have uncovered an important role of Hedgehog (Hh) in the Drosophila testis niche. In this review, we summarize these recent findings and discuss the interplay between the Hh signaling mechanisms and those of the JAK-STAT and BMP pathways. We also discuss directions for further investigation.
Adult Germline Stem Cells
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metabolism
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Animals
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Bone Morphogenetic Proteins
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metabolism
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Drosophila
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cytology
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metabolism
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Drosophila Proteins
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metabolism
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Female
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Hedgehog Proteins
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metabolism
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Janus Kinases
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metabolism
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Male
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Ovary
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metabolism
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STAT Transcription Factors
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metabolism
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Signal Transduction
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Stem Cell Niche
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Testis
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cytology
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metabolism
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Transcription Factors
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metabolism