The role of gonadotrophins in gonocyte transformation during minipuberty
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In brief
In brief
This mouse study demonstrates that gonadotropin deficiency impairs the transformation of gonocytes into spermatogonial stem cells during minipuberty, the critical postnatal hormone surge. Findings suggest gonadotropins play an essential role in early testicular development and may have implications for understanding male fertility disorders.
Written by the GCMD Library team from the article.
Abstract
Purpose
Postnatal surge of gonadotrophins, Luteinizing hormone (LH) and Follicle-Stimulating hormone (FSH) known as minipuberty, is critical for gonocyte maturation into spermatogonial stem cells (SSC) in the testis. Gonadotrophins are essential for optimum fertility in men, but very little is known how they regulate germ cells during minipuberty. This study examined whether gonadotrophins play a role on gonocyte transformation in vivo.
Methods
Testes from hypogonadal (hpg) mice and their wild type (WT) littermates (n = 6/group) were weighed, and processed in paraffin at postnatal days (D) 0, 3, 6 and 9. Mouse VASA homologue (germ cell marker), anti-Müllerian hormone (Sertoli cell marker) antibodies and DAPI (nuclei marker) were used for immunofluorescence followed by confocal imaging. Germ cells on or off basement membrane (BM) and Sertoli cells/tubule were counted using Image J and analyzed with GraphPad.
Results
Comparing to WT littermates, there were significantly fewer germ cells on BM/tubule (p < 0.05) in D9 hpg mice, whereas there was no significant difference for germ cells off BM/tubule and Sertoli cells/tubule between littermates. However, testicular weight was significantly reduced in D3-D9 hpg mice comparing to WT littermates.
Conclusion
Gonadotrophin deficiency reduced D9 germ cells on BM indicating impaired gonocyte transformation into SSC. This suggests that gonadotrophins may mediate gonocyte transformation during minipuberty.