Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
Cells. 2022 Jan 20;11(3):341. doi: 10.3390/cells11030341.
Cilia are microtubule-based hair-like organelles on the cell surface. Cilia have been implicated in various biological processes ranging from mechanosensation to fluid movement. Ciliary dysfunction leads to a plethora of human diseases, known as ciliopathies. Although non-motile primary cilia are ubiquitous, motile multicilia are found in restricted locations of the body, such as the respiratory tract, the oviduct, the efferent duct, and the brain ventricles. Multicilia beat in a whip-like motion to generate fluid flow over the apical surface of an epithelium. The concerted ciliary motion provides the driving force critical for clearing airway mucus and debris, transporting ova from the ovary to the uterus, maintaining sperm in suspension, and circulating cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. In the male reproductive tract, multiciliated cells (MCCs) were first described in the mid-1800s, but their importance in male fertility remained elusive until recently. MCCs exist in the efferent ducts, which are small, highly convoluted tubules that connect the testis to the epididymis and play an essential role in male fertility. In this review, we will introduce multiciliogenesis, discuss mouse models of male infertility with defective multicilia, and summarize our current knowledge on the biological function of multicilia in the male reproductive tract.
纤毛是细胞表面的微管基毛发状细胞器。纤毛参与了从机械感觉到流体运动等各种生物学过程。纤毛功能障碍导致了大量的人类疾病，被称为纤毛病。虽然非运动性的初级纤毛无处不在，但运动性的多纤毛只存在于身体的特定部位，如呼吸道、输卵管、输出管和脑室。多纤毛以鞭状运动拍打，在上皮的顶端表面产生流体流动。协调的纤毛运动提供了清除气道黏液和碎片、将卵子从卵巢输送到子宫、使精子保持悬浮状态以及在大脑中循环脑脊液所必需的驱动力。在男性生殖道中，多纤毛细胞（MCC）早在 19 世纪中期就被首次描述，但直到最近，它们在男性生育力中的重要性仍不为人知。MCC 存在于输出管中，输出管是连接睾丸和附睾的小而高度卷曲的管状结构，在男性生育力中起着至关重要的作用。在这篇综述中，我们将介绍多纤毛发生，讨论具有缺陷多纤毛的男性不育症的小鼠模型，并总结我们目前对男性生殖道中多纤毛生物学功能的认识。
