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It puts the T’s in fertility: testosterone and spermatogenesis

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 34, pages 669–672 (2022)Cite this article

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The role of testosterone in successful spermatogenesis has been a well-documented physiologic process for several decades. Like any process in the human body, there are multiple hormonal pathways implicated in spermatogenesis, but testosterone appears as the only essential hormone that must be present to drive normal development of testis and ultimately spermatogenesis. In this paper, we review the cellular control mechanisms by which testosterone drives spermatogenesis.

Spermatogenesis begins with the mitotic division of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) into two daughter cells, one serving the role of self-renewal, while the other initiates differentiation. This occurs within the specialized niche environment found within the seminiferous tubules of the testis. This environment is comprised of several support-type cells helping to create this physical and hormonally dense environment. Current research efforts suggest that three main cell populations help to develop germ cells from their initial SSC stage into spermatozoa [1]. Within the seminiferous tubules peritubular myoid cells (PTM) line the walls of the tubules and contract to help push sperm forward in the tubules. PTM cells help form the basement membrane of the seminiferous tubules by working alongside Sertoli cells and are involved in cell signaling with SSCs [2].

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Fig. 1: Testosterone signaling pathways.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Vanessa Dudley for figure illustrations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Luke Witherspoon & Ryan Flannigan

  2. Department of Urology, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Luke Witherspoon

  3. Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Ryan Flannigan

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LW: conception and design, administrative support, manuscript writing, final approval of manuscript. RF: conception and design, administrative support, manuscript writing, final approval of manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ryan Flannigan.

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Witherspoon, L., Flannigan, R. It puts the T’s in fertility: testosterone and spermatogenesis. Int J Impot Res 34, 669–672 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-022-00531-1

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