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CXCL12-CXCR4 signaling is required for the maintenance of mouse spermatogonial stem cells.

ABSTRACT: Continual spermatogenesis relies on the activities of a tissue-specific stem cell population referred to as spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Fate decisions of stem cells are influenced by their niche environments, a major component of which is soluble factors secreted by support cells. At present, the factors that constitute the SSC niche are undefined. We explored the role of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12) signaling via its receptor C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) in regulation of mouse SSC fate decisions. Immunofluorescent staining for CXCL12 protein in cross sections of testes from both pup and adult mice revealed its localization at the basement membrane of seminiferous tubules. Within the undifferentiated spermatogonial population of mouse testes, a fraction of cells were found to express CXCR4 and possess stem cell capacity. Inhibition of CXCR4 signaling in primary cultures of mouse undifferentiated spermatogonia resulted in SSC loss, in part by reducing proliferation and increasing the transition to a progenitor state primed for differentiation upon stimulation by retinoic acid. In addition, CXCL12-CXCR4 signaling in mouse SSCs was found to be important for colonization of recipient testes following transplantation, possibly by influencing homing to establish stem-cell niches. Furthermore, inhibition of CXCR4 signaling in testes of adult mice impaired SSC maintenance, leading to loss of the germline. Collectively, these findings indicate that CXCL12 is an important component of the growth factor milieu of stem cells in mammalian testes and that it signals via the CXCR4 to regulate maintenance of the SSC pool.

SUBMITTER: Yang QE

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4074255 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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CXCL12-CXCR4 signaling is required for the maintenance of mouse spermatogonial stem cells.

Yang Qi-En QE Kim Dongwon D Kaucher Amy A Oatley Melissa J MJ Oatley Jon M JM

Journal of cell science 20121213 Pt 4

Continual spermatogenesis relies on the activities of a tissue-specific stem cell population referred to as spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Fate decisions of stem cells are influenced by their niche environments, a major component of which is soluble factors secreted by support cells. At present, the factors that constitute the SSC niche are undefined. We explored the role of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12) signaling via its receptor C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) in regula ...[more]

PMID: 23239029

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Project description:T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematological malignancy characterized by infiltration of the bone marrow and other sites with transformed T cell progenitors. The role of tissue microenvironments in the pathogenesis of T-ALL or any other type of acute leukemia is little understood. In delineating interactions between T-ALL cells and their environment, we initially found that T-ALL cells express high surface levels of the chemokine receptor CXCR4. Intravital imaging of an intact tibia revealed T-ALL cells in direct contact with bone marrow stromal cells producing the CXCR4 ligand, CXCL12. Genetic targeting of CXCR4 on T-ALL cells resulted in a marked reduction of leukemia burden and prolonged disease remission, and disruption of the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis using small molecule inhibitors prevented T-ALL progression in a primary xenograft model. Finally, we were able to show that CXCR4 inhibition significantly decreased expression of Myc and its target genes. Myc expression is a key regulator of T-ALL leukemia initiating cell (LIC) activity, suggesting that CXCR4 inhibition can suppress LIC activity by silencing the Myc response in T-ALL cells. Our data suggest that targeting of CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling could be a powerful new tool for combating T-ALL, a disease with no current targeted therapies. Mouse T-ALL cells were treated ex vivo with Cxcr4 inhibitor AMD3100 or vehicle control. Additionally, mouse T-ALL primary tumors were isolated from control (Cxcr4+/+) or knockout (Cxcr4-/-) animals. Total RNA was extracted from samples using the RNeasy Plus Mini Kit (Qiagen). Samples were then subject to PolyA selection using oligo-dT beads (Life Technologies, Carlsbad, CA) according to the manufacturer's instructions. The resulting RNA samples were then used as input for library construction using the dUTP method as described by Parkhomchuck et al., 2009. RNA libraries were then sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq 2500 using 50bp single-end reads.

Dataset Information

CXCL12-CXCR4 signaling is required for the maintenance of mouse spermatogonial stem cells.

Publications

CXCL12-CXCR4 signaling is required for the maintenance of mouse spermatogonial stem cells.

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