title: Estrogen-induced Akt-1 activity in the lizard (Podarcis s. sicula) testis.
abstract: There are always more evidences indicating that 17beta-estradiol (E2) is to be necessary for normal male fertility. Here we report the expression of the most ubiquitously expressed member of the akt family of genes, akt1, in the lizard (Podarcis s. sicula) testis. We have used a nonmammalian vertebrate model (the lizard P. s. sicula) to investigate the regulation of the serine/threonine kinase Akt activity, implicated in the control of cell proliferation, survival, and metabolism, in the testis during the annual sexual cycle and to study whether E2 exerts a role in the spermatogenesis through Akt-1 activity. Immunocytochemistry analysis show that Akt-1 proteins are present in the spermatogonia (SPG), and spermatocytes (SPC), and spermatids (SPT). The annual E2 profile shows a progressive increase during the active spermatogenesis (from April to June) and a peak in the month of August (spermatogonial mitosis). In parallel, Akt-1 (molecular weight 60 kDa) are highly phosphorylated during the period of active spermatogenesis and in post-refractory period (August) compared with the winter stasis (from November to March). Present results demonstrate that E2 treatment induces the activation of Akt-1, and this effect is counteracted by the anti-estrogen ICI 182-780.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomorfologiche e Funzionali, Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Troncone
authors.forename: Fabio Maria
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Guarino
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Angelini
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chieffi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008116:Lizards / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010507:Periodicity; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D021381:Protein Transport; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D012621:Seasons; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D004958:Estradiol; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt