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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Nov 1.
Published in final edited form as: Dev Biol. 2015 Aug 5;407(1):90–102. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.08.004

Figure 8. RA signaling through PI3K/AKT/mTOR is required for spermatogonia differentiation.

Figure 8

Specific mRNAs are inefficiently translated (repressed) in undifferentiated germ cells. RA signaling through a kinase (non-genomic) signaling pathway activates the PI3K/AKT/mTORC1 signaling network to induce efficient translation of genes (e.g. Kit, Sohlh1, and Sohlh2) that are required for differentiation. Rapamycin inhibition of mTORC1 prevents RA induced efficient translation, and blocks spermatogonia differentiation.