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Origin and Differentiation of Androgen-Producing Cells in the Gonads

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Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Differentiation in Gonad Development

Part of the book series: Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation ((RESULTS,volume 58))

Abstract

Sexual reproduction is dependent on the activity of androgenic steroid hormones to promote gonadal development and gametogenesis. Leydig cells of the testis and theca cells of the ovary are critical cell types in the gonadal interstitium that carry out steroidogenesis and provide key androgens for reproductive organ function. In this chapter, we will discuss important aspects of interstitial androgenic cell development in the gonad, including: the potential cellular origins of interstitial steroidogenic cells and their progenitors; the molecular mechanisms involved in Leydig cell specification and differentiation (including Sertoli-cell-derived signaling pathways and Leydig-cell-related transcription factors and nuclear receptors); the interactions of Leydig cells with other cell types in the adult testis, such as Sertoli cells, germ cells, peritubular myoid cells, macrophages, and vascular endothelial cells; the process of steroidogenesis and its systemic regulation; and a brief discussion of the development of theca cells in the ovary relative to Leydig cells in the testis. Finally, we will describe the dynamics of steroidogenic cells in seasonal breeders and highlight unique aspects of steroidogenesis in diverse vertebrate species. Understanding the cellular origins of interstitial steroidogenic cells and the pathways directing their specification and differentiation has implications for the study of multiple aspects of development and will help us gain insights into the etiology of reproductive system birth defects and infertility.

Potter and Kumar contributed equally to this work and are co-first authors.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Haolin Chen and Barry Zirkin for permission to use a figure from their previous publication (Chen et al. 2009) in Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. This work was supported by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) developmental funds, a CCHMC Trustee Award, and a March of Dimes Basil O’Connor Starter Scholar Award (#5-FY14-32) to T.D.; S.J.P. was supported by a CancerFree KIDS Research Grant.

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  1. Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA

    Sarah J. Potter, Deepti Lava Kumar & Tony DeFalco

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    Rafal P. Piprek

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Potter, S.J., Kumar, D.L., DeFalco, T. (2016). Origin and Differentiation of Androgen-Producing Cells in the Gonads. In: Piprek, R. (eds) Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Differentiation in Gonad Development. Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation, vol 58. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31973-5_5

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