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Martine Culty, Ph.D. Associate Professor Tel: 514-934-1934 ext. 43752 martine.culty [at] mcgill.ca |
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Biographical Sketch
Keywords
Male reproduction, endocrinology
Research or Clinical Activities
My main research objectives are to study the physiological regulation and environmental disruption of male germ cell development, focusing on gonocytes, the precursor cells of spermatogonia stem cells. Disturbance of gonocyte development may lead to infertility or testicular tumors. We have identified a number of genes and signaling pathways involved in the regulation of gonocyte proliferation and differentiation, several of which are altered by endocrine disruptors. We are presently studying the interactions between key signaling pathways in gonocytes, as well as the short and long term impact of estrogenic and anti-androgenic endocrine disruptors on testis development. We are also involved in collaborative studies on the regulation of testicular steroid production and the effects of phthalate plasticizers on this process. Lastly, my group is part of a Team grant focused on the development of new innocuous plasticizer compounds to replace phthalates.
Selected Recent Publications
Manku G, Wing SS, Culty M 2012 Expression of the Ubiquitin Proteasome System in Neonatal Rat Gonocytes and Spermatogonia: Role in Gonocyte Differentiation. Biology of Reproduction 2012 May 16. [Epub ahead of print]; PMID: 22592496.
Manku G, Wang Y, Thuillier R, Rhodes C, Culty M 2012 Developmental expression of TSPO in testicular germ cells. Current Molecular Medicine, Curr Mol Med. 12:467-475. PMID: 22348614
Thuillier R, Mazer M, Manku G, Boisvert A, Wang Y, Culty M 2010 Interdependence of PDGF and estrogen signaling pathways in inducing neonatal rat testicular gonocytes proliferation. Biology of Reproduction, 82:825-836; PMID: 20089883
Culty M 2009 Gonocytes, the forgotten cells of the germ cell lineage. Birth Defects Research Part C; 87:1-26; PMID: 19306346
Culty M, Thuillier R, Li W, Wang Y, Martinez-Arguelles DB, Benjamin CG, Triantafillou KM, Zirkin BR, Papadopoulos V 2008 In utero exposure to di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate exerts both short-term and long-lasting suppressive effects on testosterone production. Biology of Reproduction, 78:1018-1028; PMID: 18322279