Phagocytosis by Sertoli Cells: Analysis of Main Phagocytosis Steps by Confocal and Electron Microscopy

Marina G. Yefimova (1, 2) , Nadia Messaddeq (3) , Annie-Claire Meunier (4, 5) , Anne Cantereau (1, 4) , Bernard Jegou (6) , Nicolas Bourmeyster (1, 7)

1 STIM - Signalisation et Transports Ioniques Membranaires
2 Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry
3 IGBMC - Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire
4 Université de Poitiers
5 STIM - Signalisation et Transports Ioniques Membranaires
6 Irset - Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail
7 CHU Poitiers - Centre hospitalier universitaire de Poitiers

Sertoli cells were discovered in the seminiferous tubules by Enrico Sertoli in 1865 (Morgagni 7:31-33, 1865). Intense phagocytosis is, in the context of spermatogenesis cycle, morphologically the most noticeable function of Sertoli cells. In this chapter the major principles of phagocytosis machinery and its specificities in the seminiferous tubules will be briefly reviewed, guidelines of analysis of main phagocytosis steps by confocal and transmission electron microscopy will be described, and a simplified method to assess phagocytosis rate in routine experiments will be given.

Keywords: Apoptotic-like membranes; Homeostatic phagocytosis; Nonprofessional phagocytes; Phagocytosis steps; Residual bodies; Sertoli cells

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Ecology, environment; Health

Marina G. Yefimova, Nadia Messaddeq, Annie-Claire Meunier, Anne Cantereau, Bernard Jegou, et al.. Phagocytosis by Sertoli Cells: Analysis of Main Phagocytosis Steps by Confocal and Electron Microscopy. Methods in Molecular Biology, 2018, 1748, pp.85-101. ⟨10.1007/978-1-4939-7698-0_8⟩. ⟨hal-01730283⟩