title: Characterization of the testis in congenitally ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase-1 (Uch-L1) defective (gad) mice.
abstract: The gracile axonal dystrophy (gad) mice are known to have a deletion within the gene encoding ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase-1 (Uch-L1) and show hereditary sensory deterioration and motor paresis. Expression of Uch-L1 is reported to be almost limited to the nervous system and testis. To understand whether Uch-L1, one of the major ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase (UCH) isozymes in the testis, affects spermatogenesis and other UCH isozymes (Uch-L3, L4 and L5) expression in the testis, we compared the testis between gad, hetero and wild type mice by histological, immunohistochemical analyses and RT-PCR. Histological analysis in 25-week-old gad mice showed shrinking of seminiferous tubules, decreasing total number of cells and enlargement of remaining cells in seminiferous tubules. By immunohistochemistry, a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the number of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) positive cells was observed. Expression of other UCH isozyme mRNAs was not apparently affected by Uch-L1 deficiency in 25-week-old gad mice. This study is the first report on the testis of gad mutant mouse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors.forename: Jungkee
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Tateki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Rieko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Setsuie
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kyuwa
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy; D017353:Gene Deletion; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D013869:Thiolester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D013869:Thiolester Hydrolases; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase