Stage-specific gene expression is a fundamental characteristic of rat spermatogenic cells and Sertoli cells.

ABSTRACT: Mammalian spermatogenesis is a complex biological process that occurs within a highly organized tissue, the seminiferous epithelium. The coordinated maturation of spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and spermatids suggests the existence of precise programs of gene expression in these cells and in their neighboring somatic Sertoli cells. The objective of this study was to identify the genes that execute these programs. Rat seminiferous tubules at stages I, II-III, IV-V, VI, VIIa,b, VIIc,d, VIII, IX-XI, XII, and XIII-XIV of the cycle were isolated by microdissection, whereas Sertoli cells, spermatogonia plus early spermatocytes, pachytene spermatocytes, and round spermatids were purified from enzymatically dispersed testes. Microarray analysis by using Rat Genome 230 2.0 arrays identified 16,971 p

SUBMITTER: Johnston DS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2448834 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature