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. 1995 Dec 1;36(4):543–551. doi: 10.1186/BF03547668

Pubertal Development of Intersertoli Cell Junctions in the Testis of Corriedale Ram Lambs

Utvecklingen under puberteten av junctions mellan sertoliceller i testiklarna hos corridale bagglamm

A Bielli 115,315,✉, T Gastel 315, A Castrillejo 215, A Moraña 415,515, H Rodriguez-Martinez 115
PMCID: PMC8095484  PMID: 8669381

Abstract

The ultrastructure of the tight junctional complex of pubertal ram lamb Sertoli cells was studied in immersion-fixed samples and related to clinical data and a light microscopical classification of the degree of spermatogenesis attained in the corresponding seminiferous tubule. Although the process followed the general mammalian developmental trend for tight junction complex formation, 2 unusual ultrastructural features were detected: the presence of an active Golgi complex during the early stage of tight junction formation and the transitory presence of ribosomes on both faces of the ectoplasmic cisternae bordering the developing junctions. The significance of these findings is discussed.

Keywords: puberty, blood-testis barrier, ultrastructure

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Mrs M. Ekwall for excellent technical assistance in preparing material for electron microscopy. Partial financial support was received by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the Swedish Council for Forestry and Agricultural Research and the Swedish Agency for Research Cooperation with Developing Countries (SAREC). Dr. Bi-elli is holder of a guest scholarship from the Swedish Institute, Stockholm and financial support from the Universidad Mayor de la República, Uruguay.

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