Isolation of male germ-line stem cells; influence of GDNF.

ABSTRACT: The identification and physical isolation of testis stem cells, a subset of type A spermatogonia, is critical to our understanding of their growth regulation during the first steps of spermatogenesis. These stem cells remain poorly characterized because of the paucity of specific molecular markers that permit us to distinguish them from other germ cells. Thus, the molecular mechanisms driving the first steps of spermatogenesis are still unknown. We show in the present study that GFR alpha-1, the receptor for GDNF (glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor), is strongly expressed by a subset of type A spermatogonia in the basal part of the seminiferous epithelium. Using this characteristic, we devised a method to specifically isolate these GFR alpha-1-positive cells from immature mouse te

SUBMITTER: Hofmann MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2904978 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature