AUTHOR=Gao Yang , Wang Zican , Long Yue , Yang Lici , Jiang Yongjian , Ding Dongyu , Teng Baojian , Chen Min , Yuan Jinxiang , Gao Fei 

TITLE=Unveiling the roles of Sertoli cells lineage differentiation in reproductive development and disorders: a review

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2024.1357594

DOI=10.3389/fendo.2024.1357594

ISSN=1664-2392

ABSTRACT=<p>In mammals, gonadal somatic cell lineage differentiation determines the development of the bipotential gonad into either the ovary or testis. Sertoli cells, the only somatic cells in the spermatogenic tubules, support spermatogenesis during gonadal development. During embryonic Sertoli cell lineage differentiation, relevant genes, including <italic>WT1</italic>, <italic>GATA4</italic>, <italic>SRY</italic>, <italic>SOX9</italic>, <italic>AMH</italic>, <italic>PTGDS</italic>, <italic>SF1</italic>, and <italic>DMRT1</italic>, are expressed at specific times and in specific locations to ensure the correct differentiation of the embryo toward the male phenotype. The dysregulated development of Sertoli cells leads to gonadal malformations and male fertility disorders. Nevertheless, the molecular pathways underlying the embryonic origin of Sertoli cells remain elusive. By reviewing recent advances in research on embryonic Sertoli cell genesis and its key regulators, this review provides novel insights into sex determination in male mammals as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying the genealogical differentiation of Sertoli cells in the male reproductive ridge.</p>