The Mammalian Blood-Testis Barrier: Its Biology and Regulation

• Published in: Endocrine reviews Vol. 36; no. 5; pp. 564 - 591
• Main Authors: Mruk, Dolores D., Cheng, C. Yan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Oxford University Press 01.10.2015; Copyright by The Endocrine Society; Endocrine Society
• Subjects: Animals; Biology; Blood; Blood-Testis Barrier - metabolism; Blood-Testis Barrier - ultrastructure; Cell junctions; Cellular structure; Contraceptive Agents, Male; Desmosomes; Epithelium; Gap junctions; Germ cells; Humans; Male; Mammals; Meiosis; Microenvironments; Regulatory mechanisms (biology); Reviews; Scaffolding; Sertoli cells; Spermatids; Spermatogenesis; Spermatogonia; Spermatozoa; Spermiogenesis; Structure-function relationships; Tight Junction Proteins - metabolism; Tight junctions; Tubules

Spermatogenesis is the cellular process by which spermatogonia develop into mature spermatids within seminiferous tubules, the functional unit of the mammalian testis, under the structural and nutritional support of Sertoli cells and the precise regulation of endocrine factors. As germ cells develop...