| First Author | Piprek RP | Year | 2019 |
| Journal | Cells | Volume | 8 |
| Issue | 12 | PubMed ID | 31835801 |
| Mgi Jnum | J:294004 | Mgi Id | MGI:6454410 |
| Doi | 10.3390/cells8121610 | Citation | Piprek RP, et al. (2019) N-Cadherin Is Critical for the Survival of Germ Cells, the Formation of Steroidogenic Cells, and the Architecture of Developing Mouse Gonads. Cells 8(12):1610 |
| abstractText | Normal gonad development assures the fertility of the individual. The properly functioning gonads must contain a sufficient number of the viable germ cells, possess a correct architecture and tissue structure, and assure the proper hormonal regulation. This is achieved by the interplay between the germ cells and different types of somatic cells. N-cadherin coded by the Cdh2 gene plays a critical role in this interplay. To gain an insight into the role of N-cadherin in the development of mouse gonads, we used the Cre-loxP system to knock out N-cadherin separately in two cell lines: the SF1(+) somatic cells and the OCT4(+) germ cells. We observed that N-cadherin plays a key role in the survival of both female and male germ cells. However, the N-cadherin is not necessary for the differentiation of the Sertoli cells or the initiation of the formation of testis cords or ovigerous cords. In the later stages of gonad development, N-cadherin is important for the maintenance of testis cord structure and is required for the formation of steroidogenic cells. In the ovaries, N-cadherin is necessary for the formation of the ovarian follicles. These results indicate that N-cadherin plays a major role in gonad differentiation, structuralization, and function. |
