title: Plasticity of basal cells during postnatal development in the rat epididymis.
abstract: Our previous study has shown that basal cells sense luminal factors by forming a narrow body projection that can cross epithelial tight junctions. As a first step toward characterizing the structural plasticity of basal cells, in this study, we followed their appearance and morphology in the rat epididymis and vas deferens (VD) during postnatal development and examined their modulation by androgens in adulthood. Immunofluorescence labeling for cytokeratin 5 showed that basal cells are absent at birth. They progressively appear in a retrograde manner from the VD and cauda epididymis to the initial segments during the postnatal weeks PNW1-3. At the onset of differentiation, basal cells are in contact with the lumen and their nucleus is located at the same level as that of adjacent epithelial cells. Basal cells then position their nucleus to the base of the epithelium, and while some are still in contact with the lumen, others have a 'dome-shaped' appearance. At PNW5-6, basal cells form a loose network at the base of the epithelium, and luminal-reaching basal cells are rarely detected. The arrival of spermatozoa during PNW7-8 did not trigger the development of projections in basal cells. However, cells with a narrow luminal-reaching projection began to reappear between PNW8 and PNW12 in the corpus and the cauda. Treatment with flutamide from PNW10 to PNW12 significantly reduced the number of luminal-reaching basal cell projections. In summary, basal cells exhibit significant structural plasticity during differentiation. Fewer apical-reaching projections were detected after flutamide treatment in adulthood, indicating the role of androgens in the luminal-sensing function of basal cells.
authors: Program in Membrane Biology and Nephrology Division, Harvard Medical School, Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street Simches Research Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
authors: Winnie W C
authors: WW
authors: Shum
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Hill
authors: Dennis
authors: D
authors: Brown
authors: Sylvie
authors: S
authors: Breton
mesh_terms: D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000728:Androgens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000187:drug effects; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects; D054338:Cell Transdifferentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D004822:Epididymis / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D053555:Keratin-5 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000187:drug effects; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D014649:Vas Deferens / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D000728:Androgens; D015415:Biomarkers; D053555:Keratin-5; C503939:Krt5 protein, rat
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