title: Spermatogonial cell-mediated activation of an IkappaBzeta-independent nuclear factor-kappaB pathway in Sertoli cells induces transcription of the lipocalin-2 gene.
abstract: In spermatogenesis, Sertoli cells serve as supporting cells for the proliferation and differentiation of germ cells. However, it appears that Sertoli cell function is regulated by adjacent spermatogonial cells in the testis because expression of lipocalin-2 mRNA, which encodes an iron-siderophore-binding protein, is barely detectable in Sertoli cells of germ cell-deficient W/Wv mice, and more abundantly expressed in jsd/jsd mice. By employing a coculture system comprising immortalized Sertoli cells (designated as Sertoli-B) and c-Kit(+) spermatogonial cells from 7-d-old mouse testis, we found that lipocalin-2 gene transcription in Sertoli cells is induced by a factor secreted from spermatogonial cells. Transfection of Sertoli-B cells with a series of reporter constructs encompassing an upstream region of the mouse lipocalin-2 gene revealed that a nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB binding consensus sequence in the proximal region of lipocalin-2 gene is responsible for transcriptional activation. A major NF-kappaB component, p65, bound to this region and translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus upon stimulation with spermatogonial cell-conditioned medium. Moreover, short interference RNA directed to p65 or a dominant-negative form of IkappaBalpha suppressed the spermatogonial cell factor-mediated transcription of lipocalin-2. However, NF-kappaB-activating inflammatory molecules, such as IL-1beta and lipopolysaccharide, did not induce lipocalin-2 mRNA in Sertoli-B cells and the expression of lipocalin-2 was unaffected in the testis of IkappaBzeta-deficient mice. These results demonstrate that spermatogonial cells regulate lipocalin-2 gene expression in Sertoli cells in a manner distinct from that employed by immune cells.
authors.affiliation: Stem Cell Project Group, The Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo Metropolitan Organization for Medical Research, Tokyo 113-8613, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryu-Suke
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Fujino
authors.forename: Kiyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Masami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morimatsu
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kogo
authors.forename: Takahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hara
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015513:Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins; D016328:NF-kappa B; C485947:Nfkbiz protein, mouse; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C071332:Lcn2 protein, mouse; D004247:DNA