Differential expression of glucose transporter GLUT8 during mouse spermatogenesis

Abstract

GLUT8 is a facilitative glucose transporter expressed at high levels in the testis. In this study, we analyzed the GLUT8 expression in mouse testis during spermatogenesis by RT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry methods. Our results show that GLUT8 expression is limited to spermatids and spermatozoa in the testis. Expression begins when round spermatids are formed at postnatal day 24. The expression persists throughout spermiogenesis, and it is also detected in spermatozoa, but it is absent in more immature germ cells, Sertoli cells and interstitial tissue. GLUT8 immunoreactivity is always restricted to the acrosomic system in a manner that matches the acrosome system formation. The GLUT8 expression is mainly associated with the acrosomic membrane in the acrosome, although significant immunoreactivity is also found inside the acrosomic lumen. The specific GLUT8 location suggests that this transporter plays a pivotal role in the fuel supply of spermatozoa, and in the traffic of sugars during the capacitation and fertilization processes.

Paternal effect on embryo quality in diabetic mice is related to poor sperm quality and associated with decreased glucose transporter expression

“…SLC2A8 is a recently cloned member of the class III facilitative transporters and is expressed in the blastocyst stage embryo, heart, skeletal muscle, brain, spleen, prostate, intestine, and testis (Carayannopoulos et al 2000, Doege et al 2000, Gomez et al 2006. Currently, we have confirmed that SLC2A8 is highly expressed in the Leydig cells as well as in the innermost cells of the seminiferous tubules in the mouse testis and localizes in the acrosome, midpiece, and principal piece of the mouse sperm (Kim & Moley 2007).…”

“…However, factors involved in the development of male infertility with insulin-dependent diabetes are poorly understood. SLC2A8 is highly expressed in the testis (Carayannopoulos et al 2000, Doege et al 2000, Gomez et al 2006, Kim & Moley 2007) and as such may play a major role in substrate delivery to develop sperm. These observations led us to focus on SLC2A expression in diabetic male mice.…”

“…We have also reported that SLC2A9 protein expression was significantly increased in the kidney and liver from STZinduced diabetic mice compared with non-diabetic mice (Keembiyehetty et al 2006). Although SLC2A8 (Ibberson et al 2002, Schurmann et al 2002, Chen et al 2003, Gomez et al 2006, Kim & Moley 2007) and SLC2A9 (Kim & Moley 2007) are expressed in the testis and sperm, it is not known whether their expression or localization is altered in the diabetic male reproductive system or not. The objective of this study was to determine whether sperm quality, fertilization capacity, and subsequent embryo development are altered in diabetic male mice and whether differences in facilitative glucose transporter (SLC2A) expression in the testis and sperm exist.…”

Regulation of Facilitative Glucose Transporters and AKT/MAPK/PRKAA Signaling via Estradiol and Progesterone in the Mouse Uterine Epithelium1

“…SLC2A4 is well known as the important insulin-sensitive transporter and is expressed in insulin-responsive tissues [6,7]. SLC2A8 is a recently cloned member of the class III facilitative transporters and is expressed in the heart, skeletal muscle, brain, spleen, prostate, intestine, and testis and in the developing embryo at blastocyst stage [8][9][10][11]. We have shown that SLC2A8 is an insulin-sensitive transporter in mouse blastocyst and testis [8,12].…”

Modeling the Effect of Cigarette Smoke on Hexose Utilization in Spermatocytes

“…8,[22][23][24][25] Mammalian testes and spermatozoa are known to utilize various glucose transporters (GLUTs) [26][27][28][29] that serve to transport glucose and/or fructose for critical sperm cell metabolism and function. 27,28,30,31 We have recently shown that CSC induces oxidative stress, DNA damage, and seminiferous tubule cell apoptosis in mice, ultimately leading to altered sperm motility. We also examined the effect of CSC exposure on a spermatocyte cell line, which represents the premeiotic stage of spermatogenesis (eg, primary spermatocytes).…”