Ultrastructure of sustentacular (Sertoli) cells in the bovine testis.

In the present communication, ultrastructural and cytochemical aspects of mature bovine Sertoli cells and their relationship to the different stages of germ cell development are described. As in other mammalian species, different types of junctional specializations exist between Sertoli and germ cells in the bovine seminiferous epithelium, including desmosome-like junctions, Sertoli cell ectoplasmic specializations and tubulobulbar complexes. The functional significance of the morphological results and the interactions of Sertoli and germ cells during spermatogenesis are discussed.