title: Expression of Bcl-2 family proteins and spontaneous apoptosis in normal human testis.
abstract: We investigated the frequency of spontaneous apoptosis and expression of the Bcl-2 family of proteins during normal spermatogenesis in man. Testicular tissue with both normal morphology and DNA content was obtained from necro-donors and fixed in Bouin's solution. A TdT-mediated dUTP end-labelling method (TUNEL) was used for the detection of apoptotic cells. Expression of apoptosis regulatory Bcl-2 family proteins and of p53 and p21(Waf1) was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Germ cell apoptosis was detected in all testes and was mainly seen in primary spermatocytes and spermatids and in a few spermatogonia. Bcl-2 and Bak were preferentially expressed in the compartments of spermatocytes and differentiating spermatids, while Bcl-x was preferentially expressed in spermatogonia. Bax showed a preferential expression in nuclei of round spermatids, whereas Bad was only seen in the acrosome region of various stages of spermatids. Mcl-1 staining was weak without a particular pattern, whereas expression of Bcl-w, p53 and p21(Waf1) proteins was not detected by immunohistochemistry. The results show that spontaneous apoptosis occurs in all male germ cell compartments in humans. Bcl-2 family proteins are distributed preferentially within distinct germ cell compartments suggesting a specific role for these proteins in the processes of differentiation and maturation during human spermatogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, National Hospital, N-0027 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: N B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Oldereid
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Angelis
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wiger
authors.forename: O P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Clausen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008875:Middle Aged; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011506:Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D050998:bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051025:bcl-Associated Death Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C494819:BAD protein, human; C494772:BAK1 protein, human; C494826:BAX protein, human; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; C491073:BCL2L2 protein, human; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D050998:bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051025:bcl-Associated Death Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein