title: Multiple cadherin superfamily members with unique expression profiles are produced in rat testis.
abstract: Adhesion between germ and Sertoli cells is thought to be crucial for spermatogenesis. Cadherin superfamily proteins, including classic cadherins and protocadherins, are important mediators of cell-cell adhesion. Using a degenerate PCR cloning strategy, we surveyed the expression of cadherin superfamily members in rat testis. Similar to brain, testis expressed a large number of cadherin superfamily members: 7 classic cadherins of both types I and II, 14 protocadherins, 2 protocadherin-related cadherins, and 1 cadherin-related receptorlike protein. All three protocadherin families (alpha, beta, and gamma) were found in testis. Using a semiquantitative RT-PCR assay, messenger RNA expression was determined for each cadherin superfamily member during a postnatal developmental time-course and following ablation of specific testis cell types by ethanedimethanesulfonate, methoxyacetic acid, and 2,5-hexanedione. Diverse expression patterns were observed among the cadherins, suggesting that cadherin expression is cell type-specific in testis. The large number and variety of cadherin superfamily members found in testis supports a critical function for cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion in spermatogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA. kamin_johnson@brown.edu
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boekelheide
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013737:Testis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D017931:DNA Primers; D012333:RNA, Messenger