Sertoli cell

Sertoli cells are a type of sustentacular "nurse" cell found in human testes which contribute to the process of spermatogenesis (the production of sperm) as a structural component of the seminiferous tubules. They are activated by follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secreted by the adenohypophysis and express FSH receptor on their membranes. Sertoli cells are named after Enrico Sertoli, an Italian physiologist who discovered them while studying medicine at the University of Pavia, Italy. He published a description of his eponymous cell in 1865. The cell was discovered by Sertoli with a Belthle microscope which had been purchased in 1862. In the 1865 publication, his first description used the terms "tree-like cell" or "stringy cell"; most importantly, he referred to these as "mother cells". Other scientists later used Enrico's family name to label these cells in publications, beginning in 1888. As of 2006, two textbooks that are devoted specifically to the Sertoli cell have been published. Sertoli cells are specifically located in the convolutions of the seminiferous tubules, since this is the only place in the testes where spermatozoa are produced. As the primary support cell of the tubules, they are generally very large and amorphous, with individual cells stretching from the basal lamina to the lumen; their cytoplasm often completely surrounds the germline cells which they are responsible for nursing. Sertoli cells are easily confused with the other cells of the germinal epithelium when using standard staining techniques; the most distinctive feature of the Sertoli cell is its dark nucleolus. Sertoli cells are required for male sexual development. Sertoli cell proliferation and differentiation is mainly activated by FGF9, with which they also form a feedforward loop. It has been suggested that Sertoli cells may derive from the fetal mesonephros. After puberty, Sertoli cells begin to elongate. Their nucleoli become larger and tight junctions are completed, creating a fluid-filled lumen space.