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Immunolocalization of TAR DNA‐binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP‐43) in mouse seminiferous epithelium
Author(s) -
Osuru Hari Prasad,
Pramoonjago Patcharin,
Abhyankar Mayuresh M.,
Swanson Eric,
Roker LaToya Ann,
Cathro Helen,
Reddi Prabhakara P.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/mrd.22851
Subject(s) - biology , spermatogenesis , spermiogenesis , microbiology and biotechnology , rna splicing , messenger rna , spermatocyte , rna binding protein , gene , transcription (linguistics) , gene expression , sertoli cell , rna , genetics , meiosis , endocrinology , linguistics , philosophy
TAR DNA‐binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP‐43) is an evolutionarily conserved, ubiquitously expressed, multi‐functional DNA/RNA‐binding protein with roles in gene transcription, mRNA splicing, stability, transport, micro RNA biogenesis, and suppression of transposons. Aberrant expression of TDP‐43 in testis and sperm was recently shown to be associated with male infertility, which highlights the need to understand better the expression of TDP‐43 in the testis. We previously cloned TDP‐43 from a mouse testis cDNA library, and showed that it functions as a transcriptional repressor and regulates the precise spatiotemporal expression of the Acrv1 gene, which encodes the acrosomal protein SP‐10, during spermatogenesis. Here, we performed immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry of the mouse testis using four separate antibodies recognizing the amino and carboxyl termini of TDP‐43. TDP‐43 is present in the nuclei of germ cells as well as Sertoli cells. TDP‐43 expression begins in type B/intermediate spermatogonia, peaks in preleptotene spermatocytes, and becomes undetectable in leptotene and zygotene spermatocytes. Pachytene spermatocytes and early round spermatids again express TDP‐43, but its abundance diminishes later in spermatids (at steps 5–8). Interestingly, two of the four antibodies showed TDP‐43 expression in spermatids at steps 9–10, which coincides with the initial phase of the histone‐to‐protamine transition. Immunoreactivity patterns observed in the study suggest that TDP‐43 assumes different conformational states at different stages of spermatogenesis. TDP‐43 pathology has been extensively studied in the context of neurodegenerative diseases; its role in spermatogenesis warrants further detailed investigation of the involvement of TDP‐43 in male infertility.