Signaling Pathways in Spermatogonial Stem Cells and Their Disruption by Toxicants

Spermatogenesis is a complex biological process that is particularly sensitive to environmental insults such as chemicals and physical stressors. Exposure to specific chemicals has been shown to inhibit fertility through a negative impact on germ cell proliferation and differentiation that can lower sperm count. In addition, toxicants might produce DNA damages that could have negative consequences on the development of the offspring. This review describes spermatogonial stem cell development in the testis, signaling pathways that are crucial for self-renewal, and possible target molecules for environmental toxicants such as phthalate esters and nanoparticles. Birth Defects Research (Part C) 87:35-42, 2009. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.