Research Group SCHULZ

Faculty of Science, Department of Biology
Contact: Dr. Rudiger Schulz
E-mail: r.w.schulz@uu.nl
Website: http://www.bio.uu.nl/developmentalbiology/schulz.html

General research focus: Molecular regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation in the gonads

Hormones play a crucial role in growth, development, maintenance and of tissues and function of organs as a whole. Hormones are usually formed outside the tissue of action and initiate a cascade of events in target cells. In the Research group Endocrinology the testis is the model organ for research. In the testis, LH, secreted by the pituitary, stimulates the formation and function of Leydig cells that subsequently produce testosterone, a steroid hormone for which Sertoli cells possess receptors. FSH, also a pituitary hormone, stimulates the formation and function of Sertoli cells that regulate and support many steps in the spermatogenic process. Intriguingly, the target genes for testosterone and the genes regulated by FSH in Sertoli cells are still largely unknown. Consequently, the molecular pathways through which hormones regulate spermatogenesis are still an enigma. Nevertheless, regulatory mechanisms involved in controlling spermatogenesis are detected relatively often nowadays despite the fact that the links to hormones cannot be detected as yet.

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