Expression of dysadherin in the human male reproductive tract

GABRIELLI NM, ; VEIGA MF; MATOS ML; QUINTANA S ; CHEMES HE; BLANCO G; VAZQUEZ LEVIN M

FERTILITY AND STERILITY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC

Lugar: Nueva York; Año: 2011 vol. 96 p. 554 - 561

0015-0282

Abstract Objective: To study expression of dysadherin in human testis, epididymis and spermatozoa. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Basic research laboratory. Patients: Testis, epididymis and testicular spermatozoa from patients under treatment and semen from volunteer donors. Interventions: RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, immunocytochemistry, Western immunoblotting. Main Outcome measures: Dysadherin mRNA analysis in testis, epididymis and ejaculated spermatozoa, immunohistochemistry of both tissues, Western immunoblotting of tissue/cell extracts and immunocytochemistry of spermatozoa. Results: Dysadherin mRNA was found in testis, epididymis and ejaculated spermatozoa. Whereas testis and spermatozoa exhibited a distinctive 91 KDa protein form, the epididymis showed a 50 KDa moiety, also found in MDA-MB-231 breast-cancer cells. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed >99% homology between testicular and somatic cell mRNA, suggesting differential protein glycosylation. Dysadherin was immunodetected in round spermatids and testicular/ejaculated spermatozoa. It localizes to the acrosomal region and flagellum, and co-localized with E-cadherin in the head and with the Na+,K+-ATPase a4 subunit in the flagellum. Conclusion: This is the first report on expression of dysadherin in the male gonad and in spermatozoa. Its co-localization with E-cadherin and Na+,K+-ATPase leads us to postulate a role for dysadherin as modulator of sperm function.