Characterization and differentiation of CD51+ Stem Leydig cells in adult mouse testes

Panpan Chen; Xiaoju Guan; Xingxing Zhao; Fenfen Chen; Jianying Yang; Yiyan Wang; Yue Hu; Qingquan Lian; Haolin Chen

doi:10.1016/j.mce.2019.110449

Characterization and differentiation of CD51⁺ Stem Leydig cells in adult mouse testes

Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2019 Aug 1:493:110449. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2019.110449. Epub 2019 May 15.

Authors

Panpan Chen¹, Xiaoju Guan², Xingxing Zhao², Fenfen Chen¹, Jianying Yang³, Yiyan Wang², Yue Hu¹, Qingquan Lian², Haolin Chen⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China.
² Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine, Zhejiang Province Key Lab of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325027, China.
³ College of Medical Technology and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, 471023, China.
⁴ Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China; Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine, Zhejiang Province Key Lab of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325027, China; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. Electronic address: chenhaolin@wmu.edu.cn.

PMID: 31102608
DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2019.110449

Abstract

It was reported previously that adult mouse stem Leydig cells (SLCs) express CD51 (integrin α-chain V). However, it is still unclear whether all CD51⁺ cells are SLCs. In the present study, we found that CD51⁺ cells can be classified into two sub-groups, a weakly-staining group (CD51⁺) and a strongly-staining group (CD51⁺⁺). The CD51⁺ cells expressed common SLC marker genes, including Nestin, Pdgfra and Coup-tf2, while CD51⁺⁺ cells did not express these genes. Instead, they expressed macrophage markers, such as F4/80, Cd115 and Tnfa. When these cells were induced to differentiate in vitro, the CD51⁺ cells, but not CD51⁺⁺ cells, formed Leydig cells. Overall, our results showed that although SLCs expressed CD51, not all CD51-expressing cells are SLCs. The cells that expressed high levels of CD51 are actually macrophages.

Keywords: CD51; Macrophage; Stem Leydig cells; Testis; Testosterone.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Biomarkers / metabolism
Cell Differentiation
Cells, Cultured
Integrin alphaV / metabolism*
Leydig Cells / cytology*
Leydig Cells / immunology
Macrophages / cytology
Macrophages / immunology
Male
Mice
Spermatogenesis
Stem Cells / cytology
Stem Cells / immunology*
Testis / cytology*
Testis / immunology
Up-Regulation

Substances

Biomarkers
Integrin alphaV