SOX17-positive rete testis epithelium is required for Sertoli valve formation and normal spermiogenesis in the male mouse

Aya Uchida, Kenya Imaimatsu, Honoka Suzuki, Xiao Han, Hiroki Ushioda, Mami Uemura, Kasane Imura-Kishi, Ryuji Hiramatsu, Hinako M. Takase, Yoshikazu Hirate, Atsuo Ogura, Masami Kanai-Azuma, Akihiko Kudo and Yoshiakira Kanai ()
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Aya Uchida: The University of Tokyo
Kenya Imaimatsu: The University of Tokyo
Honoka Suzuki: The University of Tokyo
Xiao Han: The University of Tokyo
Hiroki Ushioda: The University of Tokyo
Mami Uemura: The University of Tokyo
Kasane Imura-Kishi: The University of Tokyo
Ryuji Hiramatsu: The University of Tokyo
Hinako M. Takase: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
Yoshikazu Hirate: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
Atsuo Ogura: Bioresource Engineering Division, RIKEN BioResouce Research Center
Masami Kanai-Azuma: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
Akihiko Kudo: Kyorin University School of Medicine
Yoshiakira Kanai: The University of Tokyo

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract Seminiferous tubules (STs) in the mammalian testes are connected to the rete testis (RT) via a Sertoli valve (SV). Spermatozoa produced in the STs are released into the tubular luminal fluid and passively transported through the SV into the RT. However, the physiological functions of the RT and SV remain unclear. Here, we identified the expression of Sox17 in RT epithelia. The SV valve was disrupted before puberty in RT-specific Sox17 conditional knockout (Sox17-cKO) male mice. This induced a backflow of RT fluid into the STs, which caused aberrant detachment of immature spermatids. RT of Sox17-cKO mice had reduced expression levels of various growth factor genes, which presumably support SV formation. When transplanted next to the Sox17+ RT, Sertoli cells of Sox17-cKO mice reconstructed the SV and supported proper spermiogenesis in the STs. This study highlights the novel and unexpected modulatory roles of the RT in SV valve formation and spermatogenesis in mouse testes, as a downstream action of Sox17.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35465-1

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