In Vitro Spermatogenesis in Explanted Adult Mouse Testis Tissues

PLoS One. 2015 Jun 12;10(6):e0130171. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130171. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Research on in vitro spermatogenesis is important for elucidating the spermatogenic mechanism. We previously developed an organ culture method which can support spermatogenesis from spermatogonial stem cells up to sperm formation using immature mouse testis tissues. In this study, we examined whether it is also applicable to mature testis tissues of adult mice. We used two lines of transgenic mice, Acrosin-GFP and Gsg2-GFP, which carry the marker GFP gene specific for meiotic and haploid cells, respectively. Testis tissue fragments of adult GFP mice, aged from 4 to 29 weeks old, which express GFP at full extension, were cultured in medium supplemented with 10% KSR or AlbuMAX. GFP expression decreased rapidly and became the lowest at 7 to 14 days of culture, but then slightly increased during the following culture period. This increase reflected de novo spermatogenesis, confirmed by BrdU labeling in spermatocytes and spermatids. We also used vitamin A-deficient mice, whose testes contain only spermatogonia. The testes of those mice at 13-21 weeks old, showing no GFP expression at explantation, gained GFP expression during culturing, and spermatogenesis was confirmed histologically. In addition, the adult testis tissues of Sl/Sld mutant mice, which lack spermatogenesis due to Kit ligand mutation, were cultured with recombinant Kit ligand to induce spermatogenesis up to haploid formation. Although the efficiency of spermatogenesis was lower than that of pup, present results showed that the organ culture method is effective for the culturing of mature adult mouse testis tissue, demonstrated by the induction of spermatogenesis from spermatogonia to haploid cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Inbred ICR
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Mutation
  • Organ Culture Techniques / methods*
  • Spermatids / cytology
  • Spermatids / metabolism
  • Spermatocytes / cytology
  • Spermatocytes / metabolism
  • Spermatogenesis*
  • Spermatogonia / cytology*
  • Spermatogonia / metabolism
  • Spermatozoa / cytology
  • Spermatozoa / metabolism
  • Stem Cell Factor / genetics
  • Stem Cell Factor / metabolism
  • Testis / cytology*
  • Testis / metabolism
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Stem Cell Factor
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins

Grants and funding

Supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas, ‘Mechanisms regulating gamete formation in animals’ 25114007 (to T.O.); Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) 24390371 (to T.O.); grant for Establishment of Research Center for Clinical Proteomics of Posttranslational Modifications (to T.O.); and Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A) 26713012 (to T.S.).