title: The epididymal transcriptome and proteome provide some insights into new epididymal regulations.
abstract: Once shed from their fostering Sertoli cells, spermatozoa leave the testis  and are transported passively by seminiferous fluid through the rete testis.  Then, these immature cells enter the complex efferent duct system that is  joined to the unique and convoluted epididymal duct. This epididymal duct,  lined by a continuous layer of epithelial cells joined by tight junctions, is  a tube several meters long (up to 60 m in domestic mammals) and forms an organ  that is classically subdivided into 3 major anatomical regions: the  head/caput, the corpus/body, and the tail/cauda. Spermatozoa travel throughout  the duct for several days to weeks, depending on the species, and may be  stored for even longer periods in the cauda part of the epididymis and vas  deferens. During their journey the proportion of potentially  "mature" spermatozoa increases, but it is only when they reach the  cauda epididymidis that almost all spermatozoa have acquired their natural  fertilizing ability, which involves progressive motility, the ability to  undergo the postejaculatory events (capacitation and hyperactivation), and the  capacity to recognize and to bind to the oocyte investments and egg plasma  membrane. Recent secretomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic studies have  provided new information on the functions and the regionalization of the  epididymis and revealed some insights into the complexity of epididymal fluid.  Among genes and proteins highly expressed by this tissue, many have roles  related to sperm protection (such as oxidation), but a large number of new  compounds related to innate immunity have also been discovered. This review  will focus on possible new control mechanisms that these studies have  suggested for this tissue.
authors.affiliation: INRA-PACA, 400 Route des Chappes, Sophia Antipolis, France.
authors.forename: Benoît
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guyonnet
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dacheux
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dacheux
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gatti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004822:Epididymis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D021381:Protein Transport; D020543:Proteome; D051381:Rats; D012756:Sheep; D013079:Sperm Maturation / Q000235:genetics*; D013552:Swine; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: D020543:Proteome