The impact of Connexin 43 deficiency on the cell shape and cytoskeleton of murine Sertoli cells: A house with ramshackle walls?

ABSTRACT: Genetically induced loss of the gap-junction protein Connexin 43 (Cx43) in murine Sertoli cells leads to an arrest of spermatogenesis at the level of spermatogonia, highly vacuolated tubules, and intratubular cell clusters. Transmission electron microscopy as well as 3D-reconstruction of Sertoli cells based on serial block-face scanning electron microscopy imaging revealed severe cell shape changes in Cx43 deficient Sertoli cells. Since the cytoskeleton is important for the transport of germ cells within the seminiferous epithelium and for keeping the cell shape, the study at hand aimed to reveal correlations of Cx43 loss and changes of cytoskeletal components and their spatial organization in the seminiferous epithelium. Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, conventional transmission

SUBMITTER: Ueffing M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12021162 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature