Sylvester S R, Griswold M D
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Washington State University, Pullman 99164-4660.
J Androl. 1994 Sep-Oct;15(5):381-5.
The techniques of cell culture and molecular biology first revealed that Sertoli cells synthesize transferrin. Accumulated biological information led to a plausible model for the role of testicular transferrin in an iron shuttle system designed to transport ferric ions around the cellular tight junctions to the germ cells inside the blood-testis barrier. Experiments done in culture and in vivo have supported many aspects of this model. A mutant mouse model that lacks the ability to synthesize transferrin is defective in spermatogenesis and may help to delineate the nature of the iron requirement by germ cells. The levels of seminal transferrin, possibly of Sertoli cell origin, are proportional to sperm production in humans and cattle and may be an effective indicator of Sertoli cell function. The testicular iron shuttle thus represents an important "nurse cell" function of the Sertoli cells.
细胞培养和分子生物学技术首先揭示了支持细胞合成转铁蛋白。积累的生物学信息促成了一个关于睾丸转铁蛋白在铁穿梭系统中作用的合理模型，该系统旨在将铁离子围绕细胞紧密连接转运至血睾屏障内的生殖细胞。在体外培养和体内进行的实验支持了该模型的许多方面。一种缺乏合成转铁蛋白能力的突变小鼠模型在精子发生方面存在缺陷，这可能有助于阐明生殖细胞对铁需求的本质。精液中转铁蛋白的水平（可能源自支持细胞）与人类和牛的精子生成量成正比，可能是支持细胞功能的有效指标。因此，睾丸铁穿梭代表了支持细胞一项重要的“滋养细胞”功能。
