title: Identification and characterization of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors in rat testis.
abstract: PCR analysis and immunoblotting with isoform specific antibodies was used to identify the presence of type I, II and III inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (InsP3Rs) in rat testis. PCR analysis also revealed that rat testis express both forms of the S1 splice variant (S1+ and S1-), but only the S2- from of the S2 splice variant of the type I InsP3 receptor. PCR analysis was also used to identify InsP3R isoform expression at a cellular level using myoid, Sertoli and germ cells derived from the testis of Wistar rats. The extent of [3H]-InsP3 binding was found to be 9 times lower for testicular microsomes than for cerebellar microsomes, with a Bmax of 1.4 pmoles/mg protein compared to 12.5 pmoles/mg protein for cerebellar microsomes. The Kd for InsP3 binding to its receptor in testicular microsomes was 60 +/- 10 nM which was similar to that found for cerebellar microsomes (80 +/- 20 nM). InsP3-induced Ca2+ release (IICR) in testicular microsomes was found to have an EC50 (concentration which causes a half-maximal response) of 0.5 +/- 0.03 microM, also similar to that seen for cerebellar microsomes (0.3 microM). Maximal IICR occurred at about 20 microM InsP3, with up to 4% of total intracellular Ca2+ stores being mobilized as compared to between 10-30% for cerebellar microsomes. Time resolved IICR using stopped-flow spectrofluorimetry, showed the kinetics of IICR for this testis preparation to be monophasic with a maximum rate constant of 0.15 s-1 at 30 microM InsP3. The rate constants are 7 times slower than values for cerebellar microsomes under similar conditions (approximately 1 s-1) and taken together with the binding data support the proposal that the receptor density/Ca2+ store is approximately 8 times lower than seen in cerebellar microsomal vesicles. The pharmacological properties as assessed using heparin and InsP3 analogues also confirmed similar behaviour for testicular InsP3Rs and cerebellar InsP3Rs.
authors.affiliation: School of Biochemistry, University of Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Tovey
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Godfrey
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mezna
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Minchin
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mikoshiba
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Michelangeli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism; D015544:Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D053496:Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptors; D008297:Male; D008861:Microsomes / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D053496:Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptors; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D015544:Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate; D002118:Calcium