Epididymal Functions and their Hormonal Regulation

Brooks, D.

doi:10.1071/bi9830205

Cited by 99 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 68 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…5B)]. The absence of either 13A4 or αI3 immunoreactivity in the initial segment might reflect the differential susceptibility of this section to circulating hormones and testicular factors compared with more distal segments of the epididymis (Brooks, 1983;Hess, 2003;Ezer et al, 2003), although evidence that prominin-1 expression is hormonally regulated is currently lacking. Yet, given the propensity of prominin-1 to undergo alternative splicing, the expression of an uncharacterized splice variant in this segment cannot be not formally excluded.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of novel Prominin-1/CD133 splice variants with alternative C-termini and their expression in epididymis and testis

Fargeas

Joester

Missol-Kolka

et al. 2004

Journal of Cell Science

108

144

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Prominin-1/CD133 is a five-membrane-span glycoprotein that is thought to act as an organizer of plasma-membrane protrusions. Here, we report the molecular and cell-biological characterization of four novel prominin-1 splice variants isolated from a mouse testis cDNA library and referred to as prominin-1.s3 to prominin-1.s6. Compared with kidney-derived prominin-1.s1, the s3, s4 and s5 variants contain a distinct cytoplasmic C-terminal domain. The s4 and s5 variants bear, in addition, two and one inframe deletion(s), respectively, in the extracellular domains. The s6 variant displays a truncated C-terminal domain caused by a premature termination resulting from intron retention. Upon their ectopic expression in Chinese hamster ovary cells, the s3 and s6 variants were found to be concentrated in plasma-membrane protrusions, whereas the s4 and s5 variants did not reach the cell surface. Biochemical analyses suggest that most of the prominin-1 in the adult male reproductive system is expressed as the s6 variant. Immunohistological and electron microscopic analyses show that prominin-1 is: (1) confined to the apical surface of the epithelium all along the epididymal duct, with the exception of the initial segment; (2) concentrated in stereocilia of the epididymal duct epithelium; and (3) found on the tail of developing spermatozoa in seminiferous tubules. Our data suggest that prominin-1 is involved in the formation and/or stabilization of epididymal stereocilia and the tail of spermatozoa, and hence might play a dual role in the biogenesis of spermatozoa.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of novel Prominin-1/CD133 splice variants with alternative C-termini and their expression in epididymis and testis

Fargeas

Joester

Missol-Kolka

et al. 2004

Journal of Cell Science

108

144

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Other small organic molecules, inositol and glycerylphosphorylcholine are synthesized by the epididymal epithelium [47,48]. In addition, inositol can either be taken up by the epididymal epithelium and secreted into the lumen of the epididymis [49.50], or directly enter the epididymis from the testis via the effarant ducts [51].…”

Section: Functions Of the Epididymismentioning

confidence: 99%

Orchidectomy Induces a Wave of Apoptotic Cell Death in the Epididymis*

Fan

Robaire

1998

Endocrinology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The epididymis is the site where spermatozoa are matured and stored. After orchidectomy, this tissue loses up to 80% of its weight. In the prostate, androgen withdrawal by orchidectomy is associated with apoptotic cell death. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether apoptotic cell death is involved in the androgen-dependent weight loss found in the rat epididymis after orchidectomy. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were orchidectomized, and apoptotic cells were identified by in situ TUNEL (TdT-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end-labeling) apoptosis detection. Apoptosis first appeared in the epithelium of the initial segment of the epididymis 18 h after orchidectomy, reached a maximum on day 2, and disappeared by day 5 postorchidectomy. In the caput epididymidis, apoptosis was first found after 24 h, reached a maximum by day 3, and was detectable until day 5. In the corpus epididymidis, apoptosis was first seen on day 4, peaked on day 5, and was undetectable by day 6 postorchidectomy. In the cauda epididymidis, apoptosis was first seen on day 5, peaked on day 6, and was occasionally detected on day 7. Throughout the rat epididymis, apoptotic cell death was localized specifically to principal cells. The presence of apoptosis was confirmed with the observation of a ladder of nucleosomal sized DNA fragmentation by using agarose gel electrophoresis. Androgen replacement therapy after orchidectomy demonstrated that apoptosis in the caput, corpus, and cauda epididymidis was androgen dependent. However, androgens alone could not completely prevent apoptosis in the initial segment of the epididymis. Efferent duct ligation induced a similar pattern of apoptosis in the initial segment of the epididymis as that seen after orchidectomy, but there were fewer apoptotic cells in the caput epididymidis, and no apoptotic cell death in the corpus and cauda epididymidis. We conclude that withdrawal of androgen by orchidectomy induces a wave of apoptotic cell death in the epididymis; we hypothesize that apoptosis in the initial segment is caused primarily by withdrawal of androgen as well as by luminal components coming from the testis.

show abstract

“…The efferent ducts and the epididymis play major roles in reabsorbing water, ions and proteins produced from the seminiferous tubules (Clulow et al, 1998;Ilio et al, 1994;Brooks et al, 1983;Hinton et al, 1995). The epididymis, derived from the anterior Wolffian or mesonephric duct, elongates, expands and folds into a highly organized structure that includes the caput, the corpus and the cauda segments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

G protein-coupled receptor 48 upregulates estrogen receptor α expression via cAMP/PKA signaling in the male reproductive tract

Sun

et al. 2010

Development

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARYThe epididymis and efferent ducts play major roles in sperm maturation, transport, concentration and storage by reabsorbing water, ions and proteins produced from seminiferous tubules. Gpr48-null male mice demonstrate reproductive tract defects and infertility. In the present study, we found that estrogen receptor  (ER) was dramatically reduced in the epididymis and efferent ducts in Gpr48-null male mice. We further revealed that ER could be upregulated by Gpr48 activation via the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway. Moreover, we identified a cAMP responsive element (Cre) motif located at -1307 to -1300 bp in the ER promoter that is able to interact with Cre binding protein (Creb). In conclusion, Gpr48 participates in the development of the male epididymis and efferent ducts through regulation of ER expression via the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway. KEY WORDS: Gpr48, ER(Esr1), Creb, Epididymis, Infertility, MouseG protein-coupled receptor 48 upregulates estrogen receptor  expression via cAMP/PKA signaling in the male reproductive tract DEVELOPMENT 152 is observed in Gpr48-null mice. The expression of ER, NHE3 and aquaporin 1 (Aqp1) is reduced in the proximal segment of the efferent ducts.In the present study, we investigated the role of Gpr48 in the regulation of ER expression and further explored the molecular mechanism underlying this regulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS MiceGpr48-null male mice were housed at 21±1°C with a humidity of 55±10% and a 12-hour light-dark cycle. Food and water were available ad libitum. For genotyping analysis, genomic DNA was isolated from tail biopsy and PCR was carried out using three primers: upstream primer 5Ј-CCAGTCACCACTCTTACACAATGGCTAAAC-3Ј; and downstream primers 5Ј-GGTCTTTGAGCACCAGAGGAC-3Ј and 5Ј-TCCCGTAG -GAGATAGCGTCCTAG-3Ј. With regard to the male fertility assay, each Gpr48+/-and Gpr48 -/-adult male aged 12 weeks was housed with two Gpr48 +/+ females. The females were examined daily for vaginal plugs. The litter number was counted immediately after parturition. The animal protocol was reviewed and approved by the Animal Care Committee of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Ligation operationTwenty-four mice at 3 weeks of age received bilateral efferent ductile ligation (EGL; n8), bilateral vasoligation (VGL; n8) and sham operations (n8). For EGL, the efferent ductule was doubly ligated close to the epididymis and away from the epididymal and testicular vasculature and vas deferens. For VGL, bilateral vasa deferentia were doubly ligated. The mice receiving EGL, VGL or sham operations were observed daily to ascertain a normal descending of the testes. Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical stainingAnimal tissues were fixed overnight in Bouin's solution, dehydrated in ethanol, embedded in paraffin and sectioned at 5 m. Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical staining were performed according to a standard protocol. In brief, the sections were de-paraffined, progressively rehydrated and treated with 3% hydrogen peroxide in methanol for 30 minutes...

show abstract

Epididymal Functions and their Hormonal Regulation

Cited by 99 publications

References 68 publications

Identification of novel Prominin-1/CD133 splice variants with alternative C-termini and their expression in epididymis and testis

Identification of novel Prominin-1/CD133 splice variants with alternative C-termini and their expression in epididymis and testis

Orchidectomy Induces a Wave of Apoptotic Cell Death in the Epididymis*

G protein-coupled receptor 48 upregulates estrogen receptor α expression via cAMP/PKA signaling in the male reproductive tract

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About