ABSTRACT
The self-renewal of mammalian spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) supports spermatogenesis to produce spermatozoa, and this is precisely controlled in a stem niche microenvironment in the seminiferous tubules. Although studies have revealed the role of the surrounding factors in SSCs, little is known about whether the division of SSCs is controlled by extracellular vesicles. Here, extracellular vesicles were found in the basal compartment of seminiferous tubules in mouse, rat, rabbit and human testes. In the mice, the testicular extracellular vesicles are secreted by spermatogonia and are taken up by SSCs. Further, the extracellular vesicles from thy1-positive spermatogonia were purified by anti-Thy1-coupled magnetic beads, and which suppress their proliferation of SSCs but not lead to the apoptosis in vitro.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Footnotes
Funding information The National Natural Science Foundation of China (81430027, 81720108017, 81671510, 81901536); the National Basic Research Program of China (2014CB943104).
ABBREVIATIONS SSCs: spermatogonial stem cells; EVs: extracellular vesicles
