Dissertation
Transcriptional Analysis of Testicular Cells Contributing to Sperm Development
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000001866
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/121057
Abstract
Proper transcriptional regulation of testicular cells is necessary for the production of spermatozoa. One key aspect of this is the control of male germ cells, which develop from spermatogonia in a tightly coordinated manner to mature into spermatozoa that will ultimately be released from the seminiferous tubule lumen and go on to form viable sperm. During germ cell development, meiosis occurs in order to ensure the proper number of chromosomes are passed on to the future sperm. We describe how one important meiotic protein, stimulated by retinoic acid gene 8 (STRA8), is actually necessary for proper spermatogonial development prior to meiotic initiation. While a focus on germ cells is clearly impactful for male fertility, equally as important are the somatic cells that provide nutrients, structural support and specialized niches, and signaling mechanisms to support germ cell development. To address the importance of somatic Sertoli cells for germ cell development, we employed single-cell and bulk RNA-sequencing to compare transcript changes throughout the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium in both germ cell-sufficient and -deficient mice. We found that in the absence of germ cells, Sertoli cells do not have normal transcriptomes, thus highlighting the importance of germ-Sertoli crosstalk during spermatogenesis. Together, we show the complexity of both germ and somatic cells necessary for proper male germ cell development, and how deficiencies in multiple cell types can have negative implications for fertility.
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Details
- Title
- Transcriptional Analysis of Testicular Cells Contributing to Sperm Development
- Creators
- Rachel Lynn Gewiss
- Contributors
- Michael D Griswold (Advisor)Patricia A Hunt (Committee Member)Jon M Oatley (Committee Member)Steven A Roberts (Committee Member)John J Wyrick (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Molecular Biosciences, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 147
- Identifiers
- 99900606554401842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation