§16§Every year there are new and exciting developments in assisted human reproduction, but how much do we really know about the underlying causes of infertility? This volume explores recent progress in the understanding of the genetics of spermatogenesis and male infertility. Topics include fundamental advances and current problems in the development and function of the testis, an outline of clinical findings in male infertility and an overview of the role of the Y chromosome in male fertility. Comprehensive critiques of posttranscriptional control during spermatogenesis, mammalian meiotic sterility, and comparative genetics of human spermatogenesis from the perspective of yeast, Drosophila and mice provide a global overview of the field. §04§e Male Syndrome.- 5.4 X-Linked Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy (Kennedy Disease).- 5.5 Persistent Mullerian Duct Syndrome.- 5.6 Inactivating FSH Receptor Mutation.- 6 Clinical Considerations of Genetic Abnormalities.- 7 Treatment of the Infertile Male.- References.- The Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics of Testis Determination.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Human Sex Determination is Chromosomally Based.- 2.1 Sex Reversal.- 3 Gonadal Sex Differentiation.- 3.1 Testicular and Ovarian Morphogenesis in Human Embryos.- 3.2 The Importance of the Supporting Cell Lineage.- 3.3 The Contribution of the Mesonephros.- 3.4 Genes Involved in Formation of the Gonadal Primordium.- 4 The Testis-Determining Factor (TDF).- 4.1 SRY is TDF.- 4.2 The SRY Protein and Its Targets.- 4.3 Is SRY a Negative Regulator?.- 5 The SOX9 Gene and Testis Determination.- 5.1 Campomelic Dysplasia, Sex Reversal and SOX9.- 5.2 Embryonic Expression of Sox9.- 5.3 Where is SOX9 Placed in the Testis-determining Cascade?.- 6 Orph §04§an Nuclear Receptors and Sex Determination.- 6.1 Steroidogenic Factor 1 (SF1).- 6.2 DAX1 and Gonadal Differentiation.- 7 Summary: A Genetic Cascade for Testis Determination.- References.- The Sertoli Cell-Germ Cell Interactions and the Seminiferous Tubule Interleukin-1 and Interleukin-6 System.- 1 Organisation of the Testis.- 1.1 Spermatogenesis.- 1.2 The Sertoli Cell.- 1.3 The Interstitial Tissue.- 2 Endocrine Regulation of Testicular Function.- 3 Paracrine Regulation of Testicular Function.- 3.1 The Place of the IL-1/IL-6 System in the Sertoli Cell-Germ Cell Communication Network.- 3.1.1 IL-1 and IL-6.- 3.2 Sertoli Cell-Germ Cell Interactions.- 3.2.1 The Role of the Sertoli Cell.- 3.2.2 The Action of Germ Cells.- 3.3 Sources of Seminiferous-Tubule IL-1 and IL-6.- 3.3.1 Tubular IL-1.- 3.3.2 Sertoli Cell IL-6.- 3.4 Testicular IL-1 and IL-6 Receptors.- 3.5 Testicular Effects of IL-1 and IL-6.- 3.6 The Regulation of Sertoli Cell IL-1 and IL-6 by Germ Cells and the Synchronisation of §04§ the Seminiferous Epithelium Cycle.- 3.6.1 Residual Bodies and Production of Sertoli Cell IL-1 and IL-6.- 3.6.2 Control of Sertoli Cell IL-1 and IL-6 Production by Germ Cell Cytokines.- 4 Conclusion.- References.- Leydig Cell Function and Its Regulation.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Leydig Cell Morphology and Endocrine Function.- 2.1 Morphology of the Leydig Cell.- 2.2 The Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Leydig Cell Axis.- 2.2.1 Hypothalamo-Pituitary Activity and Androgen Secretion.- 2.2.2 The Role of the Testicular Vasculature.- 2.2.3 Androgen Metabolism, Action and Negative Feedback Regulation.- 2.3 Leydig Cell Steroidogenesis.- 2.4 Non-Steroidal Products of the Leydig Cell.- 3 Leydig Cell Development.- 3.1 Species Variation in Leydig Cell Development.- 3.2 Fetal, Perinatal and Prepubertal Development of the Leydig Cell in the Human.- 3.3 Pubertal Development of the Leydig Cell.- 3.4 The Ethane Dimethane Sulfonate Recovery Model.- 3.5 Hormonal Regulation of Adult Leydig Cell Development.- 3.6 Loca §04§l Factors and Le
