Abstract
The purity of the primary cultures of Sertoli cells is a factor for the validation of the studies using this methodological approach. There is a probability of contamination of these cultures with other testicular cellular types, such as peritubular cells and germ cells (that represent a large percentage of the volume of the seminiferous tubules).
For the evaluation of the purity of cultures, the immunocytochemistry technique (immunoperoxidase or immunofluorescence) is frequently used to label a protein marker specific for the Sertoli cells within the testicular environment. The expression of several protein markers can be used, with different particularities, being that vimentin is often used as a marker for Sertoli cells. Vimentin is expressed independently of the differentiation state of the cells and is observed around the nuclei and in the cytoplasm of Sertoli cells.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the “Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia” (FCT) (PTDC/BBB-BQB/1368/2014) and UMIB (PEst-OE/SAU/UI0215/2014). R.L. Bernardino was also financed by FCT (SFRH/BD/103105/2014).
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Bernardino, R.L., Alves, M.G., Oliveira, P.F. (2018). Evaluation of the Purity of Sertoli Cell Primary Cultures. In: Alves, M., Oliveira, P. (eds) Sertoli Cells. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1748. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7698-0_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7698-0_2
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