Rat prostaglandin D2 synthetase: its tissue distribution, changes during maturation, and regulation in the testis and epididymis.
The changes in glutathione-independent prostaglandin D2 synthetase (PGD-S) during maturation in the rat were determined in selected organs by an RIA using PGD-S purified from rat cerebrospinal fluid and a monospecific anti-rat PGD-S polyclonal antibody. In a survey of its tissue distribution in various organ extracts and biological fluids, it was found that the concentration of PGD-S was highest in the epididymis-about 6- and 80-fold greater than that in the brain and testis, respectively. During maturation, PGD-S concentration increased steadily in the testis and epididymis; this is in contrast to the pattern of changes in the brain and liver, which showed a general trend of decline. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Southern blotting were used to demonstrate the presence of PGD-S mRNA transcript in the testis and in Sertoli and germ cells. In the epididymis, the steady-state PGD-S mRNA level was highest in the caput, followed by the cauda and corpus. Orchiectomy induced a drastic reduction of PGD-S concentration in all three epididymal compartments. Administration of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) failed to restore the reduced epididymal PGD-S level except in the caput epididymis, where 4 days after DHT treatment the level of PGD-S was restored to about 50% of the pre-orchiectomized level; this suggests that the epididymal PGD-S level is not entirely regulated by androgen and that another yet to be identified testicular factor(s) is likely to be involved in its regulation. Germ cell-conditioned medium was also shown to stimulate PGD-S expression in the Sertoli cell. These results illustrate that PGD-S is an important molecule in testicular and epididymal function and that it is likely involved in spermatogenesis and sperm maturation.
Sorrentino
C
C
The Population Council, New York, New York 10021, USA.
Silvestrini
B
B
Braghiroli
L
L
Chung
S S
SS
Giacomelli
S
S
Leone
M G
MG
Xie
Y
Y
Sui
Y
Y
Mo
M
M
Cheng
C Y
CY
D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D004822:Epididymis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D054834:Lipocalins; D008297:Male; D009919:Orchiectomy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012670:Seminiferous Epithelium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000201:enzymology; D013737:Testis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D054834:Lipocalins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases; C022466:prostaglandin R2 D-isomerase