Xiaowei Gu

Macrophages regulate meiotic initiation and germ cell clearance in the developing ovary

This study shows ovarian macrophages regulate germ cell meiotic entry, vascular growth, and germ cell clearance during oocyte reserve establishment.

Prenatal corticosteroid exposure disrupts vascular-immune interactions and impairs steroidogenesis in the fetal testis

Prenatal corticosteroid exposure disrupts immune-vascular interactions and impairs steroidogenesis in the fetal testis, revealing potentially widespread effects of a commonly used therapy.

Testis morphogenesis and fetal Leydig cell development are mediated through ERK signaling activated by platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha

The paper investigates the role of PDGFRA and ERK signaling in fetal testis morphogenesis and Leydig cell development using genetic and molecular approaches.

Perivascular cells support folliculogenesis in the developing ovary

The paper identifies Nestin+ perivascular cells in mice as multipotent progenitors contributing to ovarian lineages and shows their role in folliculogenesis through Notch signaling.

Testicular macrophages are recruited during a narrow time window by fetal Sertoli cells to promote organ-specific developmental functions

The paper identifies the origins and developmental roles of testicular macrophages in mice, showing that fetal Sertoli cells recruit macrophages during a specific time window and that different macrophage populations have distinct functions in testis development.

Loss of Mafb and Maf distorts myeloid cell ratios and disrupts fetal mouse testis vascularization and organogenesis

The paper shows that deleting Mafb and Maf genes in fetal mouse gonads causes monocyte overproduction and defects in vascularization and testis development.