Expression of amphiphysin I in Sertoli cells and its implication in spermatogenesis.
Amphiphysin I is a protein concentrated in nerve terminals and involved in the endocytosis of synaptic vesicle membrane. We show here that amphiphysin I is expressed in the rat testis, localized exclusively in the Sertoli cells. In the postnatal testicular development, expression of amphiphysin I was not evident at birth, but became significant at postnatal day 15 (P15), coinciding with the onset of spermatogenesis. The expression level of amphiphysin I increased 10-fold between P15 and P25 to reach the adult level. In adult testes reversibly damaged by ethane dimethane sulphonate administration, expression of amphiphysin I did not change following the damage, whereas the protein was transiently converted into its phosphorylated form. The increase in levels of phosphorylated amphiphysin I was closely associated with the severe histological damage to germ cells. The present findings suggest that amphiphysin I in Sertoli cells is involved in spermatogenesis, probably through endocytic processes.
Watanabe
M
M
Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan.
Tsutsui
K
K
Hosoya
O
O
Tsutsui
K
K
Kumon
H
H
Tokunaga
A
A
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008698:Mesylates / Q000494:pharmacology; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
D008698:Mesylates; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C075637:amphiphysin; C002994:ethylene dimethanesulfonate