Caussanel V, Tabone E, Mauduit C, Dacheux F, Benahmed M
INSERM U407, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, France.
Mol Cell Endocrinol. 1996 Oct 14;123(1):61-9. doi: 10.1016/0303-7207(96)03893-2.
The epidermal growth factor (EGF), the transforming growth factor alpha (TGFalpha) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) have been immunolocalized, (i) during the testicular postnatal development (i.e. at the perinatal, prepubertal and adult periods), and (ii) during the seminiferous epithelium cycle in the different germ cell types. While TGFalpha was essentially observed in somatic cells, specifically in perinatal Leydig cells and in mature Sertoli cells, EGF was localized both in germ cells and in somatic cells with a preferential tubular expression. Furthermore, identification of EGFr in different testicular cell types indicates that during postnatal development and spermatogenesis, testicular cells are potentially responsive to EGF in that they express EGFr. Indeed, in the course of the gonadal development, the EGFr distribution was evidenced both in somatic and germ cells with a specific germ cell pattern depending upon the seminiferous epithelium cycle. A predominant EGFr staining was evidenced during the meiotic process and the spermiogenesis. Together, the present data are in favor of the involvement of the TGFalpha/EGF system in the local control of testicular cells during development and particularly of its potential direct implication in crucial steps of spermatogenesis such as meiosis and spermiogenesis.
表皮生长因子（EGF）、转化生长因子α（TGFα）和表皮生长因子受体（EGFr）已被进行免疫定位，（i）在睾丸出生后发育期间（即围产期、青春期前和成年期），以及（ii）在不同生殖细胞类型的生精上皮周期中。虽然TGFα主要在体细胞中观察到，特别是在围产期的睾丸间质细胞和成熟的支持细胞中，但EGF在生殖细胞和体细胞中均有定位，且优先在小管中表达。此外，在不同睾丸细胞类型中鉴定出EGFr表明，在出生后发育和精子发生过程中，睾丸细胞可能对EGF有反应，因为它们表达EGFr。事实上，在性腺发育过程中，EGFr分布在体细胞和生殖细胞中均有体现，且根据生精上皮周期呈现特定的生殖细胞模式。在减数分裂过程和精子形成过程中观察到EGFr染色占主导。总之，目前的数据支持TGFα/EGF系统参与睾丸细胞发育过程中的局部调控，特别是其可能直接参与精子发生的关键步骤，如减数分裂和精子形成。
