Somatic Kitl promotes mTOR to facilitate prophase I of meiosis in female embryonic gonads.

ABSTRACT: Homologous synapsis and recombination are the central events that take place in the prophase I of meiosis. Signaling that promotes the germ cell differentiation and prophase I remains elusive. Here we show a key Kitl/Kit signaling between somatic cells and germ cells in regulating meiotic prophase I in the mouse fetal gonad. Disruption of Kitl/Kit signaling, both in vivo and in vitro, impairs meiosis initiation, disrupts homologous synapsis and recombination. Moreover, mTOR/p-S6 signaling induced by Kitl/Kit elevates the levels of critical proteins such as Stra8, Sycp1 and Sycp3 for meiosis entry and homologous synapsis. Blocking Kitl/Kit signaling suppresses the mTOR and decreases the protein levels of Stra8, Sycp1, Sycp3 and Vasa, impairing the prophase I. In contrast, activating mTOR ca

SUBMITTER: Liu C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12623929 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature