The behaviors of cells, tissues, and organs are controlled by the extracellular environment in addition to their autonomous regulatory system. Dysfunction of extracellular regulatory mechanisms affects not only the development and survival of organisms but also successful reproduction. In this review article, a novel extracellular regulatory mechanism regulating the mammalian male reproductive ability will be briefly summarized. In terrestrial vertebrates, spermatozoa generated in the testis are transported through the lumen of the male reproductive tract and become functionally mature during the transport. Recent studies with gene-modified animals are unveiling the luminal extracellular environment of the reproductive tract to function not only as the pathway of sperm transport and the site of sperm maturation but also as the channel for cellular communication to regulate sperm maturation. Of special interest is the molecular mechanism of lumicrine signaling, a transluminal secreted signal transduction in the male reproductive tract lumen as a master regulator of sperm maturation and male reproductive ability. The general significance of such transluminal signaling in the context of cell biology will also be discussed.

中文翻译：

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Lumicrine 信号传导：男性生殖道腔内精子成熟的细胞外调节

细胞、组织和器官的行为除了受到自主调节系统的控制外，还受到细胞外环境的控制。细胞外调节机制的功能障碍不仅影响生物体的发育和生存，而且影响成功的繁殖。在这篇综述文章中，将简要总结一种调节哺乳动物雄性生殖能力的新型细胞外调节机制。在陆生脊椎动物中，睾丸中产生的精子通过雄性生殖道的管腔运输，并在运输过程中功能成熟。最近对基因修饰动物的研究揭示了生殖道的管腔细胞外环境不仅充当精子运输的途径和精子成熟的场所，而且充当调节精子成熟的细胞通讯的通道。特别令人感兴趣的是 luminicrine 信号传导的分子机制，这是男性生殖道腔内的一种跨腔分泌信号转导，作为精子成熟和男性生殖能力的主要调节剂。还将讨论这种跨腔信号传导在细胞生物学背景下的一般意义。