Summary
Mammalian spermatogonial stem cells, sometimes called male germline stem cells, are a small population of adult tissue-specific stem cells present in the testis. Formation of the spermatogonial stem cell population early in life and differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells in adults are responsible for continual production of sperm in the testis. Unfortunately, there are no specific biochemical or morphological markers for spermatogonial stem cells, so investigation of this cell type requires specific and consistent approaches to ensure valid data are obtained. Currently, the only assay for the presence of spermatogonial stem cells in a cell suspension is the spermatogonial stem cell transplantation technique. This requires the transfer of cells from a donor animal into the testis of a recipient animal, in which the spermatogonial stem cells will colonize and initiate donor-derived spermatogenesis. Although there is no specific marker for spermatogonial stem cells, several cell surface markers have been used to enrich for these cells prior to transplantation. Thus, selection and transplantation of spermatogonial stem cells can be used to investigate basic mechanisms regulating them. Successful transplantation and donor-derived spermatogenesis in recipient animals can lead to the restoration of fertility in infertile males. In combination with spermatogonial stem cell culture, this transplantation technique can also be used for the purpose of generating transgenic animals through the male germline. This chapter describes the methods for spermatogonial stem cell transplantation and how this approach is used to investigate testicular function.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
1. Sharpe, R. (1994) Regulation of spermatogenesis, in The physiology of reproduction (E. K. Knobil and J. D. Neill, eds.), Raven, New York, pp. 1363–1434.
2. de Rooij, D. G., and Russell, L. D. (2000) All you wanted to know about spermatogonia but were afraid to ask. J. Androl. 21, 776–798.
3. Spradling, A., Drummond-Barbosa, D., and Kai, T. (2001) Stem cells find their niche. Nature. 414, 98–104.
4. Shinohara, T., Orwig, K. E., Avarbock, M. R., and Brinster, R. L. (2001) Remodeling of the postnatal mouse testis is accompanied by dramatic changes in stem cell number and niche accessibility. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 98, 6186–6191.
5. McLean, D. J., Russell, L .D., and Griswold, M. D. (2002) Biological activity and enrichment of spermatogonial stem cells in vitamin A-deficient and hyperthermia-exposed testes from mice based on colonization following germ cell transplantation. Biol. Reprod. 66, 1374–1379.
6. Brinster, R. L. (2002) Germline stem cell transplantation and transgenesis. Science. 296, 2174–2176.
7. McLean, D. J. (2005) Spermatogonial stem cell transplantation and testicular function. Cell Tissue Res. 322, 21–31.
8. Brinster, R. L., and Zimmermann, J. W. (1994) Spermatogenesis following male germ-cell transplantation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 91, 11298–11302.
9. Kanatsu-Shinohara, M., Toyokuni, S., and Shinohara, T. (2004) CD9 is a surface marker on mouse and rat male germline stem cells. Biol. Reprod. 70, 70–75.
10. Kubota, H., Avarbock, M. R., and Brinster, R. L. (2003) Spermatogonial stem cells share some, but not all, phenotypic and functional characteristics with other stem cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 100, 6487–6492.
11. Shinohara, T., Avarbock, M.R., and Brinster, R.L. (1999) beta1- and alpha6-integrin are surface markers on mouse spermatogonial stem cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 96, 5504–5509.
12. Shinohara, T., Orwig, K. E., Avarbock, M. R., and Brinster, R. L. (2000) Spermatogonial stem cell enrichment by multiparameter selection of mouse testis cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 97, 8346–8351.
13. Hamra, F. K., Gatlin, J., Chapman, K. M., et al. (2002) Production of transgenic rats by lentiviral transduction of male germ-line stem cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 99, 14931–14936.
14. Nagano, M., Brinster, C. J., Orwig, K. E., Ryu, B. Y., Avarbock, M. R., and Brinster, R. L. (2001) Transgenic mice produced by retroviral transduction of male germ-line stem cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 98, 13090–13095.
15. Kubota, H., Avarbock, M. R., and Brinster, R. L. (2004) Growth factors essential for self-renewal and expansion of mouse spermatogonial stem cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 101, 16489–16494.
16. Kubota, H., and Brinster, R. L. (2006) Technology insight: In vitro culture of spermatogonial stem cells and their potential therapeutic uses. Nat. Clin. Pract. Endocrinol. Metab. 2, 99–108.
17. Boettger-Tong, H.L., Johnston, D.S., Russell, L.D., Griswold, M.D., and Bishop, C.E. (2000) Juvenile spermatogonial depletion (jsd) mutant seminiferous tubules are capable of supporting transplanted spermatogenesis. Biol. Reprod. 63, 1185–1191.
18. Buaas, F. W., Kirsh, A. L., Sharma, M., et al. (2004) Plzf is required in adult male germ cells for stem cell self-renewal. Nat. Genet. 36, 647–652.
19. Johnston, D. S., Russell, L. D., Friel, P. J., and Griswold, M. D. (2001) Murine germ cells do not require functional androgen receptors to complete spermatogenesis following spermatogonial stem cell transplantation. Endocrinology. 142, 2405–2408.
20. Herrid, M., Vignarajan, S., Davey, R., Dobrinski, I., and Hill, J. R. (2006) Successful transplantation of bovine testicular cells to heterologous recipients. Reproduction. 132, 617–624.
21. Honaramooz, A., Megee, S. O., and Dobrinski, I. (2002) Germ cell transplantation in pigs. Biol. Reprod. 66, 21–28.
22. Ogawa, T., Dobrinski, I., Avarbock, M. R., and Brinster, R. L. (2000) Transplantation of male germ line stem cells restores fertility in infertile mice. Nat. Med. 6, 29–34.
23. Shinohara, T., Avarbock, M. R., and Brinster, R. L. (2000) Functional analysis of spermatogonial stem cells in Steel and cryptorchid infertile mouse models. Dev. Biol. 220, 401–411.
24. Brinster, C. J., Ryu, B. Y., Avarbock, M. R., Karagenc, L., Brinster, R. L., and Orwig, K. E. (2003) Restoration of fertility by germ cell transplantation requires effective recipient preparation. Biol. Reprod. 69, 412–420.
25. Zhang, Z., Shao, S., and Meistrich, M. L. (2006) Irradiated mouse testes efficiently support spermatogenesis derived from donor germ cells of mice and rats. J. Androl. 27, 365–375.
26. Oatley, J. M., de Avila, D. M., McLean, D. J., Griswold, M. D., and Reeves, J. J. (2002) Transplantation of bovine germinal cells into mouse testes. J. Anim. Sci. 80, 1925–1931.
27. Ogawa, T., Dobrinski, I., Avarbock, M. R., and Brinster, R. L. (1999) Xenogeneic spermatogenesis following transplantation of hamster germ cells to mouse testes. Biol. Reprod. 60, 515–521.
28. Oatley, J. M., Reeves, J. J., and McLean, D. J. (2004) Biological activity of cryopreserved bovine spermatogonial stem cells during in vitro culture. Biol. Reprod. 71, 942–947.
29. Franca, L. R., Ogawa, T., Avarbock, M. R., Brinster, R. L., and Russell, L. D. (1998) Germ cell genotype controls cell cycle during spermatogenesis in the rat. Biol. Reprod. 59, 1371–1377.
30. Hill, J. R., and Dobrinski, I. (2006) Male germ cell transplantation in livestock. Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 18, 13–18.
31. McLean, D. J., Friel, P. J., Johnston, D. S., and Griswold, M. D. (2003) Characterization of spermatogonial stem cell maturation and differentiation in neonatal mice. Biol. Reprod. 69, 2085–2091.
32. Kanatsu-Shinohara, M., Toyokuni, S., and Shinohara, T. (2005) Genetic selection of mouse male germline stem cells in vitro: offspring from single stem cells. Biol. Reprod. 72, 236–240.
33. Honaramooz, A., Behboodi, E., Megee, S. O., et al. (2003) Fertility and germline transmission of donor haplotype following germ cell transplantation in immunocompetent goats. Biol. Reprod. 69, 1260–1264.
34. Oatley, J. M., Avarbock, M. R., Telaranta, A. I., Fearon, D. T., and Brinster, R. L. (2006) Identifying genes important for spermatogonial stem cell self-renewal and survival. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 103, 9524–9529.
35. Geijsen, N., Horoschak, M., Kim, K., Gribnau, J., Eggan, K., and Daley, G. Q. (2004) Derivation of embryonic germ cells and male gametes from embryonic stem cells. Nature. 427, 148–154.
36. Oatley, J. M., and Brinster, R. L. (2006) Spermatogonial stem cells. Methods Enzymol. 419, 259–282.
37. Zhang, Z., Shao, S., and Meistrich, M. L. (2006) The radiation-induced block in spermatogonial differentiation isdue to damage to the somatic environment, not the germ cells. J. Cell Physiol. 211, 149–158.
38. Hendrich, H. (2004) The laboratory mouse, Elsevier, Amsterdam.
Acknowledgments
I gratefully acknowledge the support from the National Institutes of Health (HD046521). I thank Drs. Daniel Johnston and Jon Oatley for helpful discussion on protocol development.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 Humana Press, a part of Springer Science + Business Media, LLC
About this protocol
Cite this protocol
McLean, D.J. (2008). Spermatogonial Stem Cell Transplantation, Testicular Function, and Restoration of Male Fertility in Mice. In: Hou, S.X., Singh, S.R. (eds) Germline Stem Cells. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 450. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-214-8_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-214-8_11
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-1-60327-213-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-60327-214-8
eBook Packages: Springer Protocols