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Differentiation of ovarian and testicular interstitial cells during embryonic and post-embryonic development in mice

Ultrastructural observations

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Summary

Different steps in mouse ovarian and testicular development have been studied in order to compare the time sequences during the in vivo differentiation of steroidogenic cell populations growing in contact with male and female gonocytes. These time sequences indicated a basic common developmental pattern: early signs of steroid synthesis in the male gonad, but late entering into meiotic prophase of XY germ cells; early meiosis but late steroidogenic activity in the ovary. In both male and female interstitial tissues, signs of involution were found following a period of exponential development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Anatomisches Institut der Universität Kiel, Germany

    F. W. Pehlemann & M. N. Lombard

  2. I.N.S.E.R.M. U. 22, Institut du Radium, Orsay, France

    F. W. Pehlemann & M. N. Lombard

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  1. F. W. Pehlemann
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  2. M. N. Lombard
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Dedicated to Prof. Dr. med. H. Leonhardt on the occasion of his 60th birthday

Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Pe 104/8)

We wish to thank Dr. B. Nabarra, M.-F. Rousseau-Merck and D. Sandoz for helpful advices throughout this study, as well as Mrs. L. Andrianarison and Mrs. R. Sprang for skilful assistance

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Pehlemann, F.W., Lombard, M.N. Differentiation of ovarian and testicular interstitial cells during embryonic and post-embryonic development in mice. Cell Tissue Res. 188, 465–480 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00219784

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