| First Author | Froment P | Year | 2007 |
| Journal | J Endocrinol | Volume | 194 |
| Issue | 3 | Pages | 557-68 |
| PubMed ID | 17761895 | Mgi Jnum | J:145235 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3834022 | Doi | 10.1677/JOE-07-0258 |
| Citation | Froment P, et al. (2007) Inactivation of the IGF-I receptor gene in primary Sertoli cells highlights the autocrine effects of IGF-I. J Endocrinol 194(3):557-68 |
| abstractText | IGF-I regulates pituitary and gonadal functions, and is pivotal for sexual development and fertility in mammalian species. To better understand the function of autocrine IGF-I in Sertoli cell physiology, we established a system for Cre-mediated conditional inactivation of the IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) in cultured Sertoli cells. We show here that loss of IGF-IR decreased the number of viable Sertoli cells as a consequence of diminished Sertoli cell proliferation and increased Sertoli cell death. Furthermore, the lack of IGF-IR altered the morphology of cultured Sertoli cells and decreased lactate and transferrin secretions. Collectively, our data indicate that autocrine IGF-I contributes significantly to Sertoli cell homeostasis. The described in vitro system for loss-of-function analysis of the IGF-IR can be readily transposed to study the role of other intratesticular growth factors involved in spermatogenesis. |
