Testicular macrophages are recruited during a narrow fetal time window and promote organ-specific developmental functions.

ABSTRACT: A growing body of evidence demonstrates that fetal-derived tissue-resident macrophages have developmental functions. It has been proposed that macrophages promote testicular functions, but which macrophage populations are involved is unclear. Previous studies showed that macrophages play critical roles in fetal testis morphogenesis and described two adult testicular macrophage populations, interstitial and peritubular. There has been debate regarding the hematopoietic origins of testicular macrophages and whether distinct macrophage populations promote specific testicular functions. Here our hematopoietic lineage-tracing studies in mice show that yolk-sac-derived macrophages comprise the earliest testicular macrophages, while fetal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) generate monocytes that co

SUBMITTER: Gu X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10017703 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature