LABORATORY OF LIPIDS BIOCHEMISTRY

Research lines

The laboratory’s research is centred on two lines of investigation pertaining to spermatogenesis in prepubertal mice. The first line of research involves the in-depth study of the tissue, cellular and molecular dynamics that occur during this process, with the objective of optimising it in vitro. The second line of research aims to ascertain the potential of in vitro spermatogenesis biotechnology to study the effects of endocrine disruptors on fertility. Mouse testicular tissue explants, when cultivated, have been observed to undergo a degree of spermatogenesis, a process that in vivo is subject to the regulation of hormones that control germ cell proliferation and differentiation.The genes that encode enzymes involved in cell-type-specific lipid and fatty acid biosynthesis exhibit variation with cell differentiation. In light of these findings, the first research line proposes strategies to enhance sperm production in cultured explants by evaluating the functionality of Leydig and Sertoli cells, and by supplementing cultured explants with specific hormones and lipids. The effects of follicle-stimulating hormones, luteinising hormones, testosterone, 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone and 17-beta-estradiol on histology, cytology, lipids and fatty acids produced, and the expression of genes involved in their biosynthesis during spermatogenesis in vitro are investigated. The second research line aims to study the potential of explants as in vitro models to evaluate the toxicity of endocrine disruptors on spermatogenic development, using two xenoestrogens related to infertility, nonylphenol and bisphenol A.