A spermatocyte is a male gametocyte which is derived from a spermatogonium. Initially, a spermatogonium divides by mitosis into two so-called primary spermatocytes. A primary spermatocyte is also diploid, and, in turn, gives place by meiosis to two secondary spermatocytes, which this time are haploid.

8D11

• a marker for inter-Sertoli and Sertoli-spermatocyte junctions. PMID: 11906917

Acrosin Binding Protein (ACRBP)

• a spermatocyte specific marker. PMID: 16621906

GCNA1

• abundant in nuclei of spermatogonia and early spermatocytes, but decreases during subsequent spermatocyte and round spermatid development, and is not detected beyond step 10 elongating spermatids. PMID: 8200475

GP90-MC301

• a 90-kDa glycoprotein recognized by the monoclonal antibody MC301, is a reliable stage-specific marker for preleptotene to pachytene spermatocytes in adult rat testes. PMID: 12432452

Lactate Dehydrogenase-X (LDH-X)

• the pachytene spermatocyte marker enzyme. PMID: 3353987, PMID: 3738932
• a marker of spermatocyte differentiation. PMID: 7160227
• LDH-C4 is first detectable during mid-pachytene of the primary spermatocyte. PMID: 201533

p73/5.7

• detected with concanavalin A only in the membranes of pachytene spermatocytes. PMID: 6715426

Pgk-2

• the spermatocyte-specific marker gene. PMID: 10872814
• Pgk-2 encodes a testis-specific phosphoglycerate kinase isozyme (PGK), and the expression of mouse Pgk-2 is activated during the spermatogenic pathway at the pachytene spermatocyte stage. PMID: 8163199

Proacrosin

• germ cell-specific expressed gene. PMID: 11058565
• appears in the Golgi complex as early as the mid-pachytene stage and immediately thereafter initiates partition to be equally distributed in spermatids. The anti-proacrosin monoclonal antibody 4D4 (mAb 4D4) was used as a marker of these cytoplasmic events in ten men exhibiting spermatogenesis arrest in three specific stages. PMID: 1459363

SCP1/SCP2/SCP3 (Synaptonemal Complex Protein)

• SCP3, a meiosis-specific structural protein appearing at axial elements and lateral elements of the synaptonemal complex, is a spermatocyte marker.  PMID: 14970259
• SCP2 and SCP3 are major protein components of the lateral elements (LEs) of synaptonemal complexes (SCs) of the rat, with Mrs of 173, 000 and 30,000. We performed a detailed immunocytochemical comparison of the localization of SCP2 and SCP3 within SCs at the electron microscopic level. The ultrastructural localization of SCP2 and SCP3 was analyzed by immunogold labeling of two types of preparations, namely surface-spread spermatocytes and ultrathin sections of Lowicryl-embedded testicular tissue of the rat. PMID: 9933407
• SCP1, a major protein component of synaptonemal complexes (SCs), is a pachytene spermatocyte marker (Sage et al., 1999) and is specifically present in the stage of primary and pachytene spermatocytes. PMID: 11454979, PMID: 8660935

SOX-17

• form Sox17 began at the pachytene spermatocyte stage and was highly accumulated in round spermatids, may function as a transcriptional activator in the premeiotic germ cells. PMID: 8636240

SPTRX-3

• can be used as a specific marker for diverse sperm and testis pathologies. PMID: 15181017

TEX101

• abundant on spermatocytes and early-stage spermatids, whereas negligible amounts are found in Sertoli cells, spermatogonia, spermatozoa, and late-stage spermatids. PMID: 16678124

XMR

• a dual location protein in the XY pair and in its associated nucleolus in mouse spermatocytes. PMID: 15818601
• The Xmr (Xlr related, meiosis regulated) gene product is abundantly expressed in primary spermatocytes and is notably associated with nonrecombining segments of sex chromosomes in the XY body. PMID: 12390899
• associated with the asynapsed segments of sex chromosomes in the XY body of mouse primary spermatocytes. PMID: 10968254
• located in the nuclei of spermatocytes, early in the prophase of the first meiotic division, and later becomes concentrated in the XY nuclear subregion where it is in particular associated with the axes of sex chromosomes. PMID: 8306953