Department of Animal Sciences, Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, PO Box 646353, Pullman, Washington 99164-6353, USA.
J Endocrinol. 2010 May;205(2):133-45. doi: 10.1677/JOE-09-0275. Epub 2010 Feb 10.
Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are a self-renewing population of adult stem cells capable of producing progeny cells for sperm production throughout the life of the male. Regulation of the SSC population includes establishment and maintenance of a niche microenvironment in the seminiferous tubules of the testis. Signaling from somatic cells within the niche determines the fate of SSCs by either supporting self-renewal or initiating differentiation leading to meiotic entry and production of spermatozoa. Despite the importance of these processes, little is known about the biochemical and cellular mechanisms that govern SSC fate and identity. This review discusses research findings regarding systemic, endocrine, and local cues that stimulate somatic niche cells to produce factors that contribute to the homeostasis of SSCs in mammals. In addition to their importance for male fertility, SSCs represent a model for the investigation of adult stem cells because they can be maintained in culture, and the presence, proliferation, or loss of SSCs in a cell population can be determined with the use of a transplantation assay. Defining the mechanisms that regulate the self-renewal and differentiation of SSCs will fundamentally improve the understanding of male fertility and provide information about the regulation of adult stem cells in other tissues.
精原干细胞（SSCs）是一种自我更新的成体干细胞，能够在雄性的整个生命周期中产生精子生成的祖细胞。SSC 群体的调节包括在睾丸的曲细精管中建立和维持龛微环境。龛内体细胞的信号通过支持自我更新或启动分化来决定 SSC 的命运，导致减数分裂进入和精子生成。尽管这些过程很重要，但对于控制 SSC 命运和特性的生化和细胞机制知之甚少。本综述讨论了关于刺激体细胞龛细胞产生有助于哺乳动物 SSCs 体内平衡的因子的系统、内分泌和局部线索的研究结果。除了对男性生育能力的重要性外，SSC 还代表了对成体干细胞的研究模型，因为它们可以在培养中维持，并且可以使用移植测定来确定细胞群体中 SSC 的存在、增殖或丢失。定义调节 SSCs 自我更新和分化的机制将从根本上提高对男性生育能力的理解，并提供有关其他组织中成体干细胞调节的信息。
