Scientists link the WLS protein to accelerated aging of cells in the male gonads

Increased production of a protein in older donors

The WLS protein may be involved in age-related decline of the male gonads: this is the conclusion reached by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Naval Medical University of China, whose work was published in the journal Journal of Molecular Cell Biology. As Gazeta.Ru reports, the scientists studied testicular tissue from four men — young donors aged 23 and 30 and older donors aged 62 and 91. All four had previously fathered children, and the tissue was obtained after surgeries performed for medical reasons.

What the experiments showed

The team analyzed more than 10,000 cell nuclei, comparing gene activity with chromatin accessibility — this made it possible to assess not only the active genetic programs but also the features of their regulation. With age, noticeable changes affected Sertoli cells, which support sperm production, and Leydig cells, which produce testosterone; the signals these cells exchange with their surroundings also changed.

The role of WLS and the study's limitations

Particular attention was drawn to the WLS protein, which is involved in the Wnt signaling pathway. In the Sertoli cells of older men, its production was elevated and was accompanied by signs of aging and disruption of tight intercellular junctions. When the researchers artificially increased WLS production in a culture of Sertoli cells, signs of aging developed faster. The authors emphasize that the results point to a possible role of the protein in this process, but do not yet offer a ready-made way to preserve male fertility — the tissue sample was small, and the intervention was tested only on cells, not in an organism.