Dislocated type-A spermatogonia in human seminiferous tubules

Summary Type-A spermatogonia can be found in different locations throughout the germinal epithelium of human seminiferous tubules. Generally they represent the population of germ cells adjacent to the basal lamina, but under special conditions they may be located in the adluminal compartment. This aberrant location is found not only in the terminal segments but also in the seminiferous tubules of men older than 65 years of age, and in cases of intratubular seminoma. Furthermore, in both cases, type-A spermatogonia may occupy an intermediate position between basal and intraluminal locations, without showing any signs of cytological damage.Supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Ho 388/5-3) and the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung