Basigin null mutant male mice are sterile and exhibit impaired interactions between germ cells and Sertoli cells.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-15-2013

Keywords

Acetylglucosamine, Animals, Antigens, CD147, Blood-Testis Barrier, Cell Adhesion, Cells, Cultured, Infertility, Male, Male, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Knockout, Sperm-Ovum Interactions, Spermatogenesis

JAX Source

Dev Biol 2013 Aug 15; 380(2):145-56.

Volume

380

Issue

2

First Page

145

Last Page

156

ISSN

1095-564X

PMID

23727514

Abstract

Basigin (BSG) is a multifunctional glycoprotein that plays an important role in male reproduction since male knockout (KO) mice are sterile. The Bsg KO testis lacks elongated spermatids and mature spermatozoa, a phenotype similar to that of alpha-mannosidase IIx (MX) KO mice. MX regulates formation of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) terminated N-glycans that participate in germ cell-Sertoli cell adhesion. Results showed that Bsg KO spermatocytes displayed normal homologous chromosome synapsis and progression through meiosis. However, only punctate expression of the round spermatid marker SP-10 in the acrosomal granule of germ cells of Bsg KO mice was detected indicating that spermatogenesis in Bsg KO mice was arrested at the early round spermatid stages. We observed a large increase in the number of germ cells undergoing apoptosis in Bsg KO testes. Using lectin blotting, we determined that GlcNAc terminated N-glycans are linked to BSG. GlcNAc terminated N-glycans were significantly reduced in Bsg KO testes. These observations indicate that BSG may act as a germ cell-Sertoli cell attachment molecule. Loss of BSG significantly reduced adhesion between GC-2 and SF7 cells. Moreover, wild type testes showed strong expression of N-cadherin (CDH2) while expression was greatly reduced in the testes of Bsg KO mice. In addition, the integrity of the blood-testis barrier (BTB) was compromised in Bsg KO testes. In conclusion, although some Bsg KO spermatogonia can undergo normal progression to the spermatocyte stage, BSG-mediated germ cell-Sertoli cell interactions appear to be necessary for integrity of the BTB and spermatocyte progression to mature spermatozoa. Dev Biol 2013 Aug 15; 380(2):145-56.

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