Work

Desmosomes in the testis

Year: 2011

Type: article

Abstract: Desmosomes are cell-cell junctions that link to cytoplasmic intermediate filaments, and they are known to mediate robust and stable adhesion in organs such as the skin and heart. Desmosomes are also present between apposing Sertoli cells at the blood-testis barrier, and between Sertoli cells and all germ cells up to, but not including, step 8 spermatids in the seminiferous epithelium. Unfortunately, they remain to be one of the least studied cell junction types in the seminiferous epithelium of the mammalian testis. In this article, we briefly discuss how kinases and the actin cytoskeleton relate to the study of desmosomes in the testis. It is hoped that this information is used to initiate more studies on the biology of the desmosome in the future.

Source: Spermatogenesis

DOI: 10.4161/spmg.1.1.15443

Authors: Dolores D. Mruk, C. Yan Cheng

Institutions: Population Council, Population Council

Language: English

Topic: Sperm and Testicular Function

Subfield: Reproductive Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Awards: Biology of the Blood-Testis Barrier, Biology of desmosome-gap junctions in the testis, Cooperative Contraceptive Research Center: New Contraceptives with Dual Benefits, G9000101805