Vezatin, a ubiquitous protein of adherens cell-cell junctions, is exclusively expressed in germ cells in mouse testis

Abstract

In the male reproductive organs of mammals, the formation of spermatozoa takes place during two successive phases: differentiation (in the testis) and maturation (in the epididymis). The first phase, spermiogenesis, relies on a unique adherens junction, the apical ectoplasmic specialization linking the epithelial Sertoli cells to immature differentiating spermatids. Vezatin is a transmembrane protein associated with adherens junctions and the actin cytoskeleton in most epithelial cells. We report here the expression profile of vezatin during spermatogenesis. Vezatin is exclusively expressed in haploid germ cells. Immunocytochemical and ultrastructural analyses showed that vezatin intimately coincides, temporally and spatially, with acrosome formation. While vezatin is a transmembrane protein associated with adherens junctions in many epithelial cells, it is not seen at the ectoplasmic specializations, neither at the basal nor at the apical sites, in the seminiferous epithelium. In particular, vezatin does not colocalize with espin and myosin VIIa, two molecular markers of the ectoplasmic specialization. In differentiating spermatids, ultrastructural data indicate that vezatin localizes in the acrosome. In epididymal sperm, vezatin localizes also to the outer acrosomal membrane. Considering its developmental and molecular characteristics, vezatin may be involved in the assembly/stability of this spermatic membrane.

Autoren

Vincent Hyenne
Juergen C Harf
Martin Latz
Bernard Maro
Uwe Wolfrum
Marie-Christine Simmler

DOI

10.1530/rep-06-0271

eISSN

1741-7899

ISSN

1470-1626

Ausgabe der Veröffentlichung

3

Zeitschrift

Reproduction

Paginierung

563 - 574

Datum der Veröffentlichung

2007

Status

Published

Herausgeber

Bioscientifica

Herausgeber URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1530/rep-06-0271

Datum der Datenerfassung

2023

Titel

Vezatin, a ubiquitous protein of adherens cell–cell junctions, is exclusively expressed in germ cells in mouse testis

Ausgabe der Zeitschrift

133

Datenquelle: Crossref

Abstract

In the male reproductive organs of mammals, the formation of spermatozoa takes place during two successive phases: differentiation (in the testis) and maturation (in the epididymis). The first phase, spermiogenesis, relies on a unique adherens junction, the apical ectoplasmic specialization linking the epithelial Sertoli cells to immature differentiating spermatids. Vezatin is a transmembrane protein associated with adherens junctions and the actin cytoskeleton in most epithelial cells. We report here the expression profile of vezatin during spermatogenesis. Vezatin is exclusively expressed in haploid germ cells. Immunocytochemical and ultrastructural analyses showed that vezatin intimately coincides, temporally and spatially, with acrosome formation. While vezatin is a transmembrane protein associated with adherens junctions in many epithelial cells, it is not seen at the ectoplasmic specializations, neither at the basal nor at the apical sites, in the seminiferous epithelium. In particular, vezatin does not colocalize with espin and myosin VIIa, two molecular markers of the ectoplasmic specialization. In differentiating spermatids, ultrastructural data indicate that vezatin localizes in the acrosome. In epididymal sperm, vezatin localizes also to the outer acrosomal membrane. Considering its developmental and molecular characteristics, vezatin may be involved in the assembly/stability of this spermatic membrane.

Addresses

Biologie Cellulaire du Développement, UMR 7622, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 9 Quai St Bernard, 75252 Paris cedex 05, France.

Autoren

Vincent Hyenne
Juergen C Harf
Martin Latz
Bernard Maro
Uwe Wolfrum
Marie-Christine Simmler

DOI

10.1530/rep-06-0271

eISSN

1741-7899

Externe Identifier

PubMed Identifier: 17379651

Open access

false

ISSN

1470-1626

Ausgabe der Veröffentlichung

3

Zeitschrift

Reproduction (Cambridge, England)

Schlüsselwörter

Spermatozoa
Acrosome
Cell Membrane
Adherens Junctions
Animals
Mice, Inbred Strains
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Mice
Carrier Proteins
Membrane Proteins
RNA, Messenger
Microscopy, Immunoelectron
Blotting, Western
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Male

Sprache

eng

Medium

Print

Paginierung

563 - 574

Datum der Veröffentlichung

2007

Status

Published

Datum der Datenerfassung

2007

Titel

Vezatin, a ubiquitous protein of adherens cell-cell junctions, is exclusively expressed in germ cells in mouse testis.

Sub types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Journal Article

Ausgabe der Zeitschrift

133

Datenquelle: Europe PubMed Central

Abstract

In the male reproductive organs of mammals, the formation of spermatozoa takes place during two successive phases: differentiation (in the testis) and maturation (in the epididymis). The first phase, spermiogenesis, relies on a unique adherens junction, the apical ectoplasmic specialization linking the epithelial Sertoli cells to immature differentiating spermatids. Vezatin is a transmembrane protein associated with adherens junctions and the actin cytoskeleton in most epithelial cells. We report here the expression profile of vezatin during spermatogenesis. Vezatin is exclusively expressed in haploid germ cells. Immunocytochemical and ultrastructural analyses showed that vezatin intimately coincides, temporally and spatially, with acrosome formation. While vezatin is a transmembrane protein associated with adherens junctions in many epithelial cells, it is not seen at the ectoplasmic specializations, neither at the basal nor at the apical sites, in the seminiferous epithelium. In particular, vezatin does not colocalize with espin and myosin VIIa, two molecular markers of the ectoplasmic specialization. In differentiating spermatids, ultrastructural data indicate that vezatin localizes in the acrosome. In epididymal sperm, vezatin localizes also to the outer acrosomal membrane. Considering its developmental and molecular characteristics, vezatin may be involved in the assembly/stability of this spermatic membrane.

Autoren

Vincent Hyenne
Juergen C Harf
Martin Latz
Bernard Maro
Uwe Wolfrum
Marie-Christine Simmler

Autoren-URL

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17379651

DOI

10.1530/REP-06-0271

ISSN

1470-1626

Ausgabe der Veröffentlichung

3

Zeitschrift

Reproduction

Schlüsselwörter

Acrosome
Adherens Junctions
Animals
Blotting, Western
Carrier Proteins
Cell Membrane
Male
Membrane Proteins
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Mice, Inbred Strains
Microscopy, Immunoelectron
RNA, Messenger
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Spermatozoa

Sprache

eng

Country

England

Paginierung

563 - 574

PII

133/3/563

Datum der Veröffentlichung

2007

Status

Published

Datum, an dem der Datensatz öffentlich gemacht wurde

2007

Titel

Vezatin, a ubiquitous protein of adherens cell-cell junctions, is exclusively expressed in germ cells in mouse testis.

Sub types

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Ausgabe der Zeitschrift

133

Datenquelle: PubMed

Vezatin, a ubiquitous protein of adherens cell-cell junctions, is exclusively expressed in germ cells in mouse testis

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