Progress on spermatogonial stem cell microenvironment

Yi Chuan. 2022 Dec 20;44(12):1103-1116. doi: 10.16288/j.yczz.22-136.

Abstract

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are germ cells (GCs) with long-term self-renewal and differentiation potential in testis, namely tissue stem cells located on the basement membrane, whose self-renewal and differentiation are regulated by the surrounding microenvironment. In recent years, the research of SSCs has made a series of important progress, which brings the hope for the clinical treatment of some male infertility patients. Among them, the microenvironment is particularly important in regulating SSCs. The microenvironment is responsible for integrating the effects of different types of cell components, extracellular matrix, extracellular regulatory molecules and hormones on SSCs, thus regulating the fate of SSCs. The research on SSCs microenvironment has gradually become one of the main contents of stem cell research. In this review, we mainly summarize the cell composition, regulatory factors and characteristics of mouse SSCs microenvironment, thereby providing background information for in-depth study on the structure and function of SSCs microenvironment, and opportunity to find more abundant cell phenotypes and microenvironmental factors through multiple research models in the future.

精原干细胞(spermatogonia stem cells, SSCs)是一类在睾丸中具有长期自我更新和分化潜能的生殖细胞(germ cells, GCs),即位于基底膜上的组织干细胞,其自我更新和分化受到周围微环境的调控。近年来对SSCs的研究取得了一系列重要进展,为临床治疗部分男性不育患者带来了曙光。其中,微环境对SSCs的调节功能的研究尤为重要,微环境负责整合不同类型的细胞成分、细胞外基质、细胞外调节分子及激素等对SSCs的作用,从而调节SSCs命运。关于SSCs微环境的研究已开始逐步成为干细胞研究的主要内容之一。本文主要对小鼠(Mus musculus)SSCs微环境的细胞组成、调控因子以及特点等研究现状进行了综述,为深入研究SSCs微环境的结构和功能提供背景资料,希望在未来能够通过多种研究模式复用,发现更为丰富的细胞表型和微环境因子。.

Keywords: differentiation; hormone regulation; microenvironment; self-renewal; spermatogonia stem cells.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Humans
  • Infertility, Male*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Spermatogonia
  • Stem Cell Niche*
  • Stem Cells
  • Testis