E-cadherin as a novel surface marker of spermatogonial stem cells.

Spermatogenesis is a fundamental biological process that ensures the transition of a gene from one ganeration to another via male gametes. This process relies on a rare population of testicular cells called spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), which self-renew throughout adult male life and differentiate into mature gametes. Despite the longstanding study of SSCs, their biological properties remain largely unknown, which is partly due to the very limited availability of these cells. Here, we show that cell adhesion protein E-cadherin is a highly specific surface marker of mouse SSCs that can be successfully used to enrich them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]