Short-type PB-cadherin promotes survival of gonocytes and activates JAK-STAT signalling.
Neonatal development of the rat testis involves a number of critical events including re-entry of gonocytes into the cell cycle and eventual loss of many of these cells and their progeny via apoptosis. Since surviving gonocytes give rise to subsequent generations of germ cells, regulation of their fate is critical for adult testicular function. Here, we have identified a role for short-type PB-cadherin (STPB-C) in promoting survival of gonocytes in neonatal rats and we have linked its expression to the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. These findings were obtained with varied approaches including use of transgenic rats overexpressing STPB-C which were studied with protein microarrays and other techniques, direct examination of germ cell apoptosis and survival in gonocyte-Sertoli cell co-cultures, and direct study of the JAK-STAT pathway in these models and in L cells transfected with STPB-C. These data provide new information on the regulation of gonocyte fate and exciting new evidence supporting a link between the JAK-STAT pathway and cadherin-based cell-cell interactions.
Wu
Ji
J
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA.
Jester
William F
WF
Orth
Joanne M
JM
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D002470:Cell Survival; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D053614:Janus Kinase 2; D007739:L Cells; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*
D015820:Cadherins; C504494:Cdh22 protein, mouse; C504493:Cdh22 protein, rat; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494087:Stat3 protein, mouse; C494088:Stat3 protein, rat; D015534:Trans-Activators; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C507926:Jak2 protein, mouse; C507927:Jak2 protein, rat; D053614:Janus Kinase 2