title: Mating induces the expression of immune- and pH-regulatory genes in the utero-vaginal junction containing mucosal sperm-storage tubuli of hens.
abstract: The female chicken, as with other species with internal fertilization, can tolerate the presence of spermatozoa within specialized sperm-storage tubuli (SST) located in the mucosa of the utero-vaginal junction (UVJ) for days or weeks, without eliciting an immune response. To determine if the oviduct alters its gene expression in response to sperm entry, segments from the oviduct (UVJ, uterus, isthmus, magnum and infundibulum) of mated and unmated (control) hens, derived from an advanced inter-cross line between Red Junglefowl and White Leghorn, were explored 24  h after mating using cDNA microarray analysis. Mating shifted the expression of fifteen genes in the UVJ (53.33% immune-modulatory and 20.00% pH-regulatory) and seven genes in the uterus, none of the genes in the latter segment overlapping the former (with the differentially expressed genes themselves being less related to immune-modulatory function). The other oviductal segments did not show any significant changes. These findings suggest sperm deposition causes a shift in expression in the UVJ (containing mucosal SST) and the uterus for genes involved in immune-modulatory and pH-regulatory functions, both relevant for sperm survival in the hen's oviduct.
authors.affiliation: Linköping UniversityDepartment of Clinical and Experimental MedicineFaculty of Medicine and Health SciencesDepartment of PhysicsChemistry and Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Campus HU/US, Developmental Biology, Lasarettsgatan 64/65, Lanken, Floor 12, SE-581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Atikuzzaman
authors.affiliation: Linköping UniversityDepartment of Clinical and Experimental MedicineFaculty of Medicine and Health SciencesDepartment of PhysicsChemistry and Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Campus HU/US, Developmental Biology, Lasarettsgatan 64/65, Lanken, Floor 12, SE-581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ratnesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mehta Bhai
authors.affiliation: Linköping UniversityDepartment of Clinical and Experimental MedicineFaculty of Medicine and Health SciencesDepartment of PhysicsChemistry and Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Campus HU/US, Developmental Biology, Lasarettsgatan 64/65, Lanken, Floor 12, SE-581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jesper
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fogelholm
authors.affiliation: Linköping UniversityDepartment of Clinical and Experimental MedicineFaculty of Medicine and Health SciencesDepartment of PhysicsChemistry and Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Campus HU/US, Developmental Biology, Lasarettsgatan 64/65, Lanken, Floor 12, SE-581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: Linköping UniversityDepartment of Clinical and Experimental MedicineFaculty of Medicine and Health SciencesDepartment of PhysicsChemistry and Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Campus HU/US, Developmental Biology, Lasarettsgatan 64/65, Lanken, Floor 12, SE-581 85 Linköping, Sweden heriberto.rodriguez-martinez@liu.se.
authors.forename: Heriberto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Martinez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival; D002645:Chickens; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010057:Oviducts / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D014621:Vagina / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*