A transit amplifying population underpins the efficient regenerative capacity of the testis

Claudia Carrieri, Stefano Comazzetto, Amit Grover, Marcos Morgan, Andreas Buness, Claus Nerlov, Donal O'Carroll

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) that supports spermatogenesis throughout adult life resides within the GFR 1-expressing A type undifferentiated spermatogonia. The decision to commit to spermatogenic differentiation coincides with the loss of GFR 1 and reciprocal gain of Ngn3 (Neurog3) expression. Through the analysis of the piRNA factor Miwi2 (Piwil4), we identify a novel population of Ngn3-expressing spermatogonia that are essential for efficient testicular regeneration after injury.
Depletion of Miwi2-expressing cells results in a transient impact on testicular
homeostasis with this population behaving strictly as transit amplifying cells under homeostatic conditions. However, upon injury Miwi2-expressing cells are essential for the efficient regenerative capacity of the testis and also display facultative stem activity in transplantation assays. In summary, the mouse testis has adopted a regenerative strategy to expand stem cell activity by incorporating a transit amplifying population to the effective stem cell pool, thus ensuring rapid and efficient tissue repair.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1631-1641
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Experimental Medicine
Volume214
Issue number6
Early online date1 May 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2017

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