The role of Wnt signaling in male reproductive physiology and pathology

Accumulating evidence has shown that Wnt signaling is deeply involved in male reproductive physiology, and malfunction of the signal path can cause pathological changes in genital organs and sperm cells. These abnormalities are diverse in manifestation and have been constantly found in the knockout models of Wnt studies. Nevertheless, most of the research solely focused on a certain factor in the Wnt pathway, and there are few reports on the overall relation between Wnt signals and male reproductive physiology. In our review, Wnt findings relating to the reproductive system were sought and summarized in terms of Wnt ligands, Wnt receptors, Wnt intracellular signals and Wnt regulators. By sorting out and integrating relevant functions, as well as underlining the controversies among different reports, our review aims to offer an overview of Wnt signaling in male reproductive physiology and pathology for further mechanistic studies.

Automated summary

Accumulating evidence indicates that Wnt signaling is closely related to male reproductive physiology, with dysfunction potentially leading to pathological changes in genital organs and sperm cells. Despite numerous abnormalities being found in knockout models, research has mostly focused on individual factors within the Wnt pathway, with few reports on the overall relationship between Wnt signals and male reproductive physiology. This review aims to provide an overview of Wnt signaling in male reproductive physiology and pathology, sorting out relevant functions and addressing controversies among different studies.