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Expression of testicular fatty acid‐binding protein PERF 15 during germ cell apoptosis
Author(s) -
Kido Tatsuo,
Namiki Hideo
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
development, growth and differentiation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.864
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1440-169X
pISSN - 0012-1592
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-169x.2000.00520.x
Subject(s) - apoptosis , germ , fatty acid binding protein , germ cell , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , andrology , biochemistry , biology , gene , medicine
PERF 15 is a testicular germ cell specific fatty acid‐binding protein (FABP) isolated from rat. Indirect immunofluorescent analysis of juvenile rat testis showed that there were some strongly PERF 15‐positive spermatocytes. These cells showed unclear nuclear structure and were predicted to undergo apoptosis. Apoptosis in germ cells is an important regulatory event to limit the number of germ cells in the seminiferous epithelium, but the physiological significance and molecular mechanisms of this testicular germ cell apoptosis are poorly understood. To determine whether PERF 15 participates in germ cell apoptosis, juvenile rat testis was examined by immunohistochemical and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP nick end‐labeling (TUNEL) methods. Strongly PERF 15‐positive cells and TUNEL‐positive cells were co‐localized in adjacent sections. Exposure to methoxyacetic acid (MAA), known to induce apoptosis in spermatocytes, increased the number of strongly PERF 15‐positive cells in 25‐day‐old rats’ testes. Therefore, it seems that PERF 15 is involved in both spermatogenesis and testicular germ cell apoptosis.