Three‐dimensional analysis of seminiferous tubules and spermatogenesis in the musk shrew, Suncus murinus

We reconstructed in three dimensions all seminiferous tubules in the testes of 1‐ and 8‐week‐old musk shrews (Suncus murinus), a small experimental mammal belonging to the family Soricidae, order Eulipotyphla that preserves the primitive characteristics of mammalian species. Quantitative analyses re...

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Published in:Journal of anatomy Vol. 247; no. 6; pp. 1204 - 1214
Main Authors: Nakata, Hiroki, Yamaguchi, Mahiro, Omotehara, Takuya, Ichimura, Koichiro, Yi, Shuang‐Qin, Iseki, Shoichi
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.12.2025
Subjects:
Animals
Dimensional analysis
Imaging, Three-Dimensional
Male
Mice
Pachytene
Seminiferous tubule
Seminiferous Tubules - anatomy & histology
Shrews - anatomy & histology
Shrews - physiology
Soricidae
Spermatocytes
Spermatogenesis
Spermatogenesis - physiology
Suncus murinus
Testes
testis
three‐dimensional reconstruction
Tubules
Suncus murinus
3D
seminiferous tubule
three‐dimensional reconstruction
testis
ISSN:0021-8782, 1469-7580, 1469-7580
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:We reconstructed in three dimensions all seminiferous tubules in the testes of 1‐ and 8‐week‐old musk shrews (Suncus murinus), a small experimental mammal belonging to the family Soricidae, order Eulipotyphla that preserves the primitive characteristics of mammalian species. Quantitative analyses revealed that the basic structure of seminiferous tubules at 1 week postpartum remained consistent into adulthood. A single dominant seminiferous tubule with extensive branching accounted for more than 90% of the length of all tubules, a feature distinct from that in mice and rats. Pachytene spermatocytes were observed in the seminiferous epithelia of most tubules at 1 week, which was markedly earlier than in mice and rats. At 8 weeks, a mosaic pattern of active and inactive areas of spermatogenesis was observed through the length of seminiferous tubules, a feature distinct from that in mice and rats. The percentage of active areas was significantly lower in tubule portions near the rete testis. The unique characteristics of seminiferous tubules in the musk shrew will provide a basis for investigating not only the phylogeny of testis functions but also the regulation of spermatogenesis and possibly the pathogenesis of azoospermia. We reconstructed all seminiferous tubules in 3D in musk shrew testes and found that a single, highly branched tubule dominates the testis. Spermatogenesis begins unusually early, and by 8 weeks, a mosaic pattern of active and inactive regions emerges, representing features that are distinct from those in mice and rats.
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ISSN:0021-8782
1469-7580
1469-7580
DOI:10.1111/joa.14288