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      Spermatid differentiation requires the assembly of a cell polarity complex downstream of junctional adhesion molecule-C.

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          Abstract

          During spermatogenesis in the mammalian testis, stem cells (spermatogonia) differentiate into spermatocytes, which subsequently undergo two consecutive meiotic divisions to give rise to haploid spermatids. These cells are initially round but progressively elongate, condense their nuclei, acquire flagellar and acrosomal structures, and shed a significant amount of their cytoplasm to form spermatozoa (the sperm cells) in a developmental cascade termed spermiogenesis. Defects in these processes will lead to a lack of mature sperm cells (azoospermia), which is a major cause of male infertility in the human population. Here we report that a cell-surface protein of the immunoglobulin superfamily, junctional adhesion molecule-C (JAM-C), is critically required for the differentiation of round spermatids into spermatozoa in mice. We found that Jam-C is essential for the polarization of round spermatids, a function that we attribute to its role in the assembly of a cell polarity complex.

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          Author and article information

          Journal
          Nature
          Nature
          Springer Science and Business Media LLC
          1476-4687
          0028-0836
          Sep 16 2004
          : 431
          : 7006
          Affiliations
          [1 ] Vascular Development Laboratory, Cancer Research UK London Research Institute, London WC2A 3PX, UK.
          Article
          nature02877
          10.1038/nature02877
          15372036
          f181ea3e-3bf2-4e9f-a969-42a6e02866f3
          History

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