{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]],"date-time":"2025-11-17T14:03:38Z","timestamp":1763388218309,"version":"3.45.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,23]],"date-time":"2025-07-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1753228800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"The Center for Molecular Carcinogenesis and Toxicology"},{"name":"National Institutes of Health\/NIEHS","award":["R01ES016591"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R01ES016591"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,14]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>We report the presence of a previously undocumented cell type in the spermatogonial stem cell niche expressing CD2 protein, using whole-mount immunofluorescence of rat seminiferous tubule preparations. Confocal imaging revealed that CD2+ cells reside interspersed within the peritubular myoid cell (PTMC) layer surrounding the seminiferous tubules. Three-dimensional reconstruction and surface rendering models revealed cellular interaction between peritubular macrophages (PTM\u03c6s) and CD2+ cells. The mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP)-induced testicular injury model was utilized to investigate the dynamics of PTM\u03c6-CD2+ cell interaction. Fischer CDF344 male rats were exposed to 700\u00a0mg\/kg-bw MEHP or corn oil via oral gavage on postnatal day (PND) 28 and euthanized at 48\u00a0h or 2\u00a0weeks post-exposure. In MEHP-exposed animals, a significant number of PTM\u03c6s encounter CD2+ cells at 48\u00a0h post-exposure, suggesting it to be an adaptive response against the MEHP-induced toxicity. Moreover, neither the vehicle group (corn oil) nor the MEHP-exposed animals show a change in the temporal division dynamics of the CD2+ cells when followed along the acute (48\u00a0h) and recovery (2\u00a0weeks) phases of post-injury, suggesting these cells as dormant cell population lacking susceptibility against MEHP-induced toxicity. Nevertheless, an increase in PTM\u03c6-CD2+ cell interactions in response to testicular toxicity indicates a CD2+ cell-mediated link for dynamic intercellular communication between the innate immune cells and niche cells of the testis. This first report of the existence of a unique CD2+ cell population in the rat seminiferous tubules and their direct cellular interaction with PTM\u03c6s is anticipated to stimulate further research in the field of testicular immunobiology.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/biolre\/ioaf162","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,23]],"date-time":"2025-07-23T11:53:31Z","timestamp":1753271611000},"page":"1170-1181","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Identification and characterization of a novel CD2-positive cell population in the seminiferous tubule of Fischer CDF344 rats"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"113","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5797-1719","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christy","family":"Lite","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The Center for Molecular Carcinogenesis and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX 78712 ,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Richa","family":"Tiwary","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The Center for Molecular Carcinogenesis and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX 78712 ,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Abril","family":"Calderon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX 78712 ,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6334-9777","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"John H","family":"Richburg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The Center for Molecular Carcinogenesis and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX 78712 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