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25 - Apoptotic Signaling in Male Germ Cells

from Part II - Cell Death in Tissues and Organs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 September 2011

Douglas R. Green
By
Amiya P. Sinha Hikim ,
Yue Jia ,
Yan-He Lue ,
Christina Wang  and
Ronald S. Swerdloff
Edited by
John C. Reed
Douglas R. Green
Affiliation:
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
Amiya P. Sinha Hikim
Affiliation:
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Yue Jia
Affiliation:
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Yan-He Lue
Affiliation:
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Christina Wang
Affiliation:
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Ronald S. Swerdloff
Affiliation:
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
John C. Reed
Affiliation:
Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, California
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Summary

Abstract

Programmed germ cell death (apoptosis) is conspicuous during normal spermatogenesis and serves as a quality control system for the production of normal sperm. Deregulation of germ cell death is associated with defective spermatogenesis and impaired fertility. Mitochondria-dependent intrinsic pathway signaling constitutes a critical component of apoptotic signaling in male germ cells across species. However, the regulation of germ cell apoptosis may vary depending on the nature of the apoptotic stimulus and can be triggered by more than one pathway. Activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase are critical for activation of the intrinsic pathway signaling in male germ cells. In addition, there is increasing evidence that caspase-2 is an upstream activator of the p38 MAPK and nitric oxide–mediated intrinsic pathway signaling. This chapter focuses on the recent progress in our understanding of the regulation of germ cell apoptosis in the testis.

Type
Chapter
Information
Apoptosis
Physiology and Pathology
 , pp. 283 - 294
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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References

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