During spermatogenesis, the movement of developing germ cells across the seminiferous epithelium associates with extensive restructuring of cell-cell actin-based adherens junctions (AJs), such as ectoplasmic specialization (ES, a testis-specific AJ junction), between Sertoli and germ cells. Although this event of germ cell movement is essential to the completion of spermatogenesis, the mechanism(s) that regulates AJ restructuring is largely unknown. Using Sertoli-germ cells cocultured in vitro to study the regulation of AJ assembly, it was shown that this event associated with a transient induction of beta 1-integrin, vinculin, p-FAK-Tyr(397), and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) but not the nonphosphorylated form of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), paxillin, and p130 Cas. Furthermore, p-FAK-Tyr(397) was shown to coimmunoprecipitate with beta 1-integrin, vinculin, and c-Src both in vitro and in vivo using Sertoli-germ cell cocultures and seminiferous tubules, respectively. These results seemingly suggest that the testis is using constituent proteins of the focal adhesion complex (FAC) found in other epithelia between cell and extracellular matrix to regulate AJ dynamics. To further confirm that p-FAK, a putative FAC protein in other epithelia, is indeed present at the site of ES, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescent microscopy were used. The p-FAK-Tyr(397) and p-FAK-Tyr(576) were found to localize almost exclusively at the site of apical ES with weak staining at the basal ES in the seminiferous epithelium in a stage-specific manner, being highest at stages VI-VIII. In contrast, FAK was largely restricted to the basal compartment but with weak staining at the apical compartment. When rats were treated with 1-(2,4-dichlorobenzyl)-indazole-3-carbohydrazide (AF-2364) to perturb Sertoli-germ cell AJs, an induction of beta 1-integrin, vinculin, p-FAK-Tyr(397), PI3K, and p130 Cas but not the nonphosphorylated form of FAK and paxillin was also detected in the testis, coinciding with the time spermatids began to deplete from the epithelium, indicating their involvement in AJ disassembly. Thereafter, the levels of vinculin, p-FAK-Tyr(397), PI3K, and p130 Cas in the testis plunged, coinciding with the declining events of AJ disruption when virtually all spermatids were depleted from the epithelium. Taken collectively, these results suggest a bifunctional role of p-FAK, being involved in the events of Sertoli-germ cell AJ assembly and disassembly. In summary, the events of AJ dynamics in the testis, in particular at the site of ES, are regulated, at least in part, by proteins that are found in the FAC in other epithelia, such as beta1-integrin, vinculin, and FAK utilizing the integrin/pFAK/PI3K/p130 Cas signaling pathway.

The coxsackie and adenovirus receptor (CAR), a putative cell-cell adhesion molecule, has attracted wide interest due to its importance in viral pathogenesis and in mediating adenoviral gene delivery. However, the distribution pattern and physiological function of CAR in the testis is still not clear. Here, we identified CAR in Sertoli cells and germ cells of rats. In vivo studies have shown that CAR resides at the blood-testis barrier as well as at the ectoplasmic specialization. The persistent expression of CAR in rat testes from neonatal period throughout adulthood implicates its role in spermatogenesis. Using primary Sertoli cell cultures, we observed a significant induction of CAR during the formation of Sertoli cell epithelium. Furthermore, CAR was seen to be concentrated at inter-Sertoli cell junctions, colocalizing with tight junction protein marker ZO-1 and adherens junction protein N-cadherin. CAR was also found to be associated with proteins of Src kinase family and its protein level declined after TNFα treatment in Sertoli cell cultures. Immunofluorescent staining of isolated germ cells has revealed the presence of CAR on spermatogonia, spermatocytes, round spermatids and elongate spermatids. Taken together, we propose that CAR functions as an adhesion molecule in maintaining the inter-Sertoli cell junctions at the basal compartment of the seminiferous epithelium. In addition, CAR may confer adhesion between Sertoli and germ cells at the Sertoli-germ cell interface. It is possible that the receptor utilized by viral pathogens to breakthrough the epithelial barrier was also employed by developing germ cells to migrate through the inter-Sertoli cell junctions.

Development of spermatozoa in adult mammalian testis during spermatogenesis involves extensive cell migration and differentiation. Spermatogonia that reside at the basal compartment of the seminiferous epithelium differentiate into more advanced germ cell types that migrate toward the apical compartment until elongated spermatids are released into the tubule lumen during spermiation. Apical ectoplasmic specialization (ES; a testis-specific anchoring junction) is the only cell junction that anchors and maintains the polarity of elongating/elongated spermatids (step 8-19 spermatids) in the epithelium. Little is known regarding the signaling pathways that trigger the disassembly of the apical ES at spermiation. Here, we show that secreted Frizzled-related protein 1 (sFRP1), a putative tumor suppressor gene that is frequently down-regulated in multiple carcinomas, is a crucial regulatory protein for spermiation. The expression of sFRP1 is tightly regulated in adult rat testis to control spermatid adhesion and sperm release at spermiation. Down-regulation of sFRP1 during testicular development was found to coincide with the onset of the first wave of spermiation at approximately age 45 d postpartum, implying that sFRP1 might be correlated with elongated spermatid adhesion conferred by the apical ES before spermiation. Indeed, administration of sFRP1 recombinant protein to the testis in vivo delayed spermiation, which was accompanied by down-regulation of phosphorylated (p)-focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-Tyr(397) and retention of nectin-3 adhesion protein at the apical ES. To further investigate the functional relationship between p-FAK-Tyr(397) and localization of nectin-3, we overexpressed sFRP1 using lentiviral vectors in the Sertoli-germ cell coculture system. Consistent with the in vivo findings, overexpression of sFRP1 induced down-regulation of p-FAK-Tyr(397), leading to a decline in phosphorylation of nectin-3. In summary, this report highlights the critical role of sFRP1 in regulating spermiation via its effects on the FAK signaling and retention of nectin-3 adhesion complex at the apical ES.