Source of the anti-Müllerian hormone synthesized by the fetal testis: Müllerian-inhibiting activity of fetal bovine Sertoli cells in tissue culture.

Abstract

Extract: In order to determine which tubular cells are responsible for the secretion of anti-mullerian hormone (AMH), a method which would yield a pure preparation of fetal Sertoli cells appeared to be desirable. In tissue cultures of postnatal testicular cells, germinal elements remain free-floating in the medium, whereas cells of nongerminal origin attach themselves to the surface of the culture vessel and form a monolayer. If, before cell dissociation, seminiferous tubules are isolated from interstitial tissue, the monolayer formed on the flasks plated with tubular cells is formed only by Sertoli cells. By applying this method to fetal calf testicular tissue, we have obtained separate cultures of fetal Sertoli and interstitial cells and tested mullerian-inhibiting activity. Tubular cells exhibited a pavement-like pattern, tended to form circular structures, and inhibited the rat fetal mullerian duct after transferral to organ culture conditions. Interstitial cells had a fibroblastic appearance in monolayers, and did not display mullerian-inhibiting activity. Speculation: Monolayers arising from the tubular and interstitial compartment of the calf fetal testis, respectively, have been established. As, in the postnatal testis, germ cells do not attach to the walls of culture vessels, it is speculated that the tubular monolayer is formed by Sertoli cells only. Their mullerian-inhibiting activity confirms our previous hypothesis that Sertoli cells are the source of the mullerian-inhibiting hormone.