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Regulation of Epididymal Function by Testicular Factors: The Lumicrine Hypothesis

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The Testis

Part of the book series: Serono Symposia USA ((SERONOSYMP))

Abstract

It is very clear that the mammalian epididymis needs androgens to be fully functional. During the 1980s and 1990s, however, it became evident that factors passing into the epididymal duct that originate from the testis appear to play an equal role in maintaining a functional epididymis. There have been very few studies, however, that examined the identification of such factors and the mechanisms by which they act. The mechanism of action of testicular factors cannot be classified as either endocrine or autocrine, although it may be considered paracrine in nature. The term lumicrine has been coined to define the regulation of cells by factors secreted and/or produced by an upstream set of cells through a luminal or ductal system (Fig. 15.1). Lumicrine is not new, and has been used to define a novel neuroendocrine intracellular signaling pathway (1). In this case, the pathway involves the lumen of the intracellular secretory pathway (e.g., the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus). Lumicrine regulation, however, can occur both intracellularly and extracellularly.

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Authors
  1. Barry T. Hinton
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  2. Zi Jian Lan
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  3. R. John Lye
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  4. Jacquelyn C. Labus
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208-3500, USA

    Erwin Goldberg Ph.D.

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© 2000 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.

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Hinton, B.T., Lan, Z.J., Lye, R.J., Labus, J.C. (2000). Regulation of Epididymal Function by Testicular Factors: The Lumicrine Hypothesis. In: Goldberg, E. (eds) The Testis. Serono Symposia USA. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2106-7_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2106-7_15

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7416-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-2106-7

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