Cellular and Molecular Mechanism of Spermatogenesis

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Reproduction".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 1026

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Division of Endocrinology, The Lundquist Institute and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90502, USA
Interests: spermatogenesis regulation; spermatogonial stem cell; meiosis; spermiogenesis; sertoli cell; in vitro spermatogenesis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to submit your manuscript to this Special Issue of “Cellular and Molecular Mechanism of Spermatogenesis”.

Spermatogenesis is a highly regulated cellular process within the seminiferous tubules that is structurally and functionally supported by Sertoli cells and peritubular myoid cells in the testes. This complex and synchronous cellular event consists of mitosis, meiosis, and a morphologic transformation of round haploid spermatids into polarized spermatozoa that carry genetic and epigenetic information to the next generation. Spermatogenesis has high energy demands and depends on both systematic and local hormones, signaling transduction molecules, adequate temperature, and bioenergetic metabolites shared via intercellular bridges of syncytial germ cells. Despite extensive studies carried out on understanding spermatogenesis at the cellular and molecular levels, advances in single-cell multi-omics have opened a new avenue for further deciphering the cellular and molecular mechanisms of spermatogenesis. With a growing body of testicular single-cell multi-omics data available, the molecular pathways discovered by bioinformatics analysis need to be validated and confirmed by experimental model systems in vitro and in vivo. Identification and confirmation of biomolecules regulating spermatogenesis are critically important not only for elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of spermatogenesis but also for developing targeted approaches for male infertility treatment and male contraceptive development.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  1. Mechanisms of hormonal, genetic, and temperature regulation of germ cell proliferation, differentiation, and death during spermatogenesis.
  2. Discover and elucidate the molecular pathways via single-cell multi-omics in testes.
  3. Validation and confirmation of the molecular pathways discovered via genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics approaches in experimental model systems in vitro or in vivo by gene editing, transcriptional interference, and molecular or pharmacologic interventions.
  4. Deciphering the cellular and molecular mechanisms of testicular pathological conditions in animal and human testes.
  5. Protection, rescue, or suppression of spermatogenesis using biomolecules in experimental animal models.
  6. Mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergetic regulation of spermatogenesis.
  7. Sertoli cell, blood–testis barrier (BTB), and immunologic regulation of spermatogenesis.
  8. Application of biomolecules, biomaterials, and bioengineering for establishing in vitro spermatogenesis.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Yanhe Lue
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • spermatogenesis
  • regulation
  • biomolecules

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

23 pages, 3625 KiB  
Review
Elucidating the Transcriptional States of Spermatogenesis—Joint Analysis of Germline and Supporting Cell, Mice and Human, Normal and Perturbed, Bulk and Single-Cell RNA-Seq
by Ali AbuMadighem, Ofir Cohen and Mahmoud Huleihel
Biomolecules 2024, 14(7), 840; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14070840 - 12 Jul 2024
Viewed by 789
Abstract
In studying the molecular underpinning of spermatogenesis, we expect to understand the fundamental biological processes better and potentially identify genes that may lead to novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies toward precision medicine in male infertility. In this review, we emphasized our perspective that [...] Read more.
In studying the molecular underpinning of spermatogenesis, we expect to understand the fundamental biological processes better and potentially identify genes that may lead to novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies toward precision medicine in male infertility. In this review, we emphasized our perspective that the path forward necessitates integrative studies that rely on complementary approaches and types of data. To comprehensively analyze spermatogenesis, this review proposes four axes of integration. First, spanning the analysis of spermatogenesis in the healthy state alongside pathologies. Second, the experimental analysis of model systems (in which we can deploy treatments and perturbations) alongside human data. Third, the phenotype is measured alongside its underlying molecular profiles using known markers augmented with unbiased profiles. Finally, the testicular cells are studied as ecosystems, analyzing the germ cells alongside the states observed in the supporting somatic cells. Recently, the study of spermatogenesis has been advancing using single-cell RNA sequencing, where scientists have uncovered the unique stages of germ cell development in mice, revealing new regulators of spermatogenesis and previously unknown cell subtypes in the testis. An in-depth analysis of meiotic and postmeiotic stages led to the discovery of marker genes for spermatogonia, Sertoli and Leydig cells and further elucidated all the other germline and somatic cells in the testis microenvironment in normal and pathogenic conditions. The outcome of an integrative analysis of spermatogenesis using advanced molecular profiling technologies such as scRNA-seq has already propelled our biological understanding, with additional studies expected to have clinical implications for the study of male fertility. By uncovering new genes and pathways involved in abnormal spermatogenesis, we may gain insights into subfertility or sterility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cellular and Molecular Mechanism of Spermatogenesis)
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