title: Developmental expression and function of Bmp4 in spermatogenesis and in maintaining epididymal integrity.
abstract: Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) play essential roles in many aspects of developmental biology. We have previously shown that Bmp7, Bmp8a, and Bmp8b of the 60A class of Bmp genes have additive effects in spermatogenesis and in maintaining the epididymal integrity of the caput and caudal regions. Here we report that Bmp4 of the Dpp class has a unique expression pattern in the developing testis and epididymis. Bmp4 heterozygous males on a largely C57BL/6 background show compromised fertility due to degeneration of germ cells, reduced sperm counts, and decreased sperm motility. More interestingly, some of these males show extensive degeneration of the epididymal epithelium in the corpus region, rather than in the caput and cauda regions as for Bmp7 and Bmp8 mutants. Thus, these genetic data reveal a region-specific requirement of different classes of BMPs for epididymal epithelium to survive and have significant implications on male reproductive health and perhaps birth control.
authors.affiliation: Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9051, USA.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Ya-Xiong
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiaoxia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Teng-Guo
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mishina
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Garbers
authors.forename: Guang-Quan
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004822:Epididymis / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006579:Heterozygote; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009154:Mutation; D009929:Organ Size / Q000235:genetics; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000235:genetics; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C525810:Bmp4 protein, mouse; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins