TY  - JOUR
TI  - The role of stem cell factor and of alternative c-kit gene products in the establishment, maintenance and function of germ cells.
AU  - Sette, C
AU  - Dolci, S
AU  - Geremia, R
AU  - Rossi, P
T2  - The International Journal of Developmental Biology
AB  - The c-kit gene plays a fundamental role during the establishment, the maintenance and the function of germ cells. In the embryonal gonad the c-kit tyrosine kinase receptor and its ligand Stem Cell Factor (SCF) are required for the survival and proliferation of primordial germ cells. In the postnatal animal, c-kit/SCF are required for the production of the mature gametes in response to gonadotropic hormones, i.e. for the survival and/or proliferation of the only proliferating germ cells of the testis, the spermatogonia, and for the growth and maturation of the oocytes. Finally, a truncated c-kit product, tr-kit, specifically expressed in post-meiotic stages of spermatogenesis and present in mature spermatozoa, causes parthenogenetic activation when microinjected into mouse eggs, suggesting that it might play a role in the final function of the gametes, fertilization.
PY  - 2000
VL  - 44
IS  - 6
SP  - 599
EP  - 608
J2  - Int. J. Dev. Biol.
LA  - en
SN  - 0214-6282
SN  - 1696-3547
UR  - https://ijdb.ehu.eus/article/11061423
Y2  - 2024/05/06/05:03:16
ER  -