Guan Xiaoju, Chen Panpan, Zhao Xingxing, Hao Xinrui, Chen Fenfen, Ji Minpeng, Wen Xin, Lin Han, Ye Leping, Chen Haolin
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China; Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China.
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China.
Stem Cell Res. 2019 Dec;41:101593. doi: 10.1016/j.scr.2019.101593. Epub 2019 Oct 15.
Adult testicular Leydig cells arise from stem cells in the neonatal and adult testis. The nature of these stem Leydig cells (SLCs) have not been well characterized. We have found previously that a group cells expressing CD90, a cell surface glycoprotein that may play roles in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions and associated with the seminiferous tubule surface, have the ability to form Leydig cells. As yet, the relationship between this CD90+ cell population and SLCs reported previously by other groups is still unknown. In the present study, we systematically characterized these CD90+ cells by their ability to express multiple potential SLC markers and to proliferate and differentiate into Leydig cells in vitro. First, we have found by qPCR and immunohistochemical staining that the CD90+ cells do not express any of the markers of the common seminiferous tubular cells, including myoid, Sertoli, germ and Leydig cells, as well as macrophages. Moreover, when the CD90+ cells were isolated by fluorescent-sorting, the cells expressed high levels of all the potential SLC marker genes, including Nestin, Cd51, Coup-tf2, Arx, Pdgfra and Tcf21. Also, CD90-positive, but not -negative, cells were able to form Leydig cells in vitro with the proper inducing medium. Overall, the results indicated that the tubule-associated CD90+ cells represent a population of SLC in adult testis.
成年睾丸间质细胞起源于新生儿和成年睾丸中的干细胞。这些间质干细胞（SLCs）的性质尚未得到充分表征。我们之前发现，一组表达CD90的细胞，CD90是一种细胞表面糖蛋白，可能在细胞间和细胞与基质的相互作用中发挥作用，且与曲细精管表面相关，具有形成间质细胞的能力。然而，该CD90 +细胞群体与其他研究小组之前报道的SLCs之间的关系仍然未知。在本研究中，我们通过检测这些CD90 +细胞表达多种潜在SLC标记物的能力、增殖能力以及在体外分化为间质细胞的能力，对其进行了系统表征。首先，我们通过qPCR和免疫组化染色发现，CD90 +细胞不表达任何常见曲细精管细胞的标记物，包括肌样细胞、支持细胞、生殖细胞、间质细胞以及巨噬细胞。此外，当通过荧光分选分离出CD90 +细胞时，这些细胞高水平表达所有潜在的SLC标记基因，包括巢蛋白（Nestin）、Cd51、Coup-tf2、Arx、血小板衍生生长因子受体α（Pdgfra）和转录因子21（Tcf21）。而且，在合适的诱导培养基中，CD90阳性而非阴性细胞能够在体外形成间质细胞。总体而言，结果表明与曲细精管相关的CD90 +细胞代表成年睾丸中的一群SLC。
