title: Differentiation-related changes in lipid classes with long-chain and very long-chain polyenoic fatty acids in rat spermatogenic cells.
abstract: In rat seminiferous tubules (ST), cells that contain polar and neutral lipids with long-chain polyenoic fatty acids (PUFA) and sphingomyelins (SM) and ceramides (Cer) with very long chain (VLC) PUFA of the n-6 series coexist. In this study, pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids were isolated to determine how these lipids change during spermatogenesis. As the amount per cell of PUFA-rich glycerophospholipids (GPL) decreased with cell size, the 22:5/20:4 ratio increased with cell differentiation. The elovl2 and elovl5 genes, required for 22:5 formation, were expressed (mRNA) in both cell types. Residual bodies- particles with compacted organelles and materials discarded from late spermatids-concentrated cholesterol, 22:5-rich triacylglycerols, and GPL, including plasmalogens and phosphatidylserine. Species of SM and Cer with nonhydroxylated (n-) VLCPUFA (28:4, 30:5, and 32:5) predominated in pachytene spermatocytes, whereas species with the corresponding 2-hydroxy (2-OH) VLCPUFA prevailed in round spermatids. Thus, a dramatic increase in the 2-OH/n-VLCPUFA ratio in SM and Cer was a hallmark of differentiation. A substantial decrease of 2-OH SM occurred between spermatids and mature spermatozoa and 2-OH SM species were collected in residual bodies "en route" to Sertoli cells. Notably, spermatids and spermatozoa gained a significant amount of ceramides devoid of n-VLCPUFA but having 2-OH VLCPUFA as their main fatty acids.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) y Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), Bahía Blanca, Argentina.
authors.forename: Gerardo M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Oresti
authors.forename: Juan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.forename: Jessica M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Luquez
authors.forename: Nelson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Osses
authors.forename: Natalia E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Furland
authors.forename: Marta I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Aveldaño
mesh_terms: D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002518:Ceramides / Q000378:metabolism; D000081031:Fatty Acid Elongases; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013087:Spermatids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002518:Ceramides; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D013109:Sphingomyelins; D000123:Acetyltransferases; D000081031:Fatty Acid Elongases