Role of cell adhesion molecule nectin-3 in spermatid development.
Seminiferous epithelia of the testes contain two types of intercellular junctions: Sertoli-Sertoli junctions and Sertoli-spermatid junctions. The former junctions are equipped with tight and adherens junctions while the latter junctions are not. Ca2+ -independent immunoglobulin-like cell-cell adhesion molecules, nectin-2 and nectin-3, asymmetrically localize at the Sertoli cell side and at the spermatid side of Sertoli-spermatid junctions, respectively. They heterophilically trans-interact to make contact between the two cells. Nectin-2(-/-) mice have shown male-specific infertility, disrupted Sertoli-spermatid junctions and morphologically impaired spermatid development. Here we report testicular phenotypes of nectin-3(-/-) mice exhibiting male-specific infertility. Nectin-3(-/-) mice had defects in the later steps of sperm morphogenesis including distorted nuclei and abnormal distribution of mitochondria, as well as in localization of nectin-2 at the Sertoli-spermatid junctions. Transplantation of wild-type spermatogenic stem cells into the nectin-3(-/-) testes partially rescued these defects in sperm morphogenesis. These results indicate that the heterophilic trans-interaction between nectin-2 and nectin-3 is essential for the formation and maintenance of Sertoli-spermatid junctions that plays a critical role in spermatid development.
Inagaki
Maiko
M
Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine/Faculty of Medicine, Suita 565-0871, Japan.
Irie
Kenji
K
Ishizaki
Hiroyoshi
H
Tanaka-Okamoto
Miki
M
Miyoshi
Jun
J
Takai
Yoshimi
Y
D000818:Animals; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007248:Infertility, Male; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D000075983:Nectins; D010641:Phenotype; D021381:Protein Transport; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013087:Spermatids / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; C000619017:Nectin3 protein, mouse; D000075983:Nectins