Expression of multiple connexins in the rat epididymis indicates a complex regulation of gap junctional communication

2003 ◽  
Vol 284 (1) ◽  
pp. C33-C43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Dufresne ◽  
Kenneth W. Finnson ◽  
Mary Gregory ◽  
Daniel G. Cyr
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Basal Cells ◽  
Principal Cells ◽  
Gap Junctional Communication ◽  
Adult Rat ◽  
Young Rats ◽  
Junctional Communication ◽  
Rat Epididymis

In the epididymis, Cx43 forms gap junctions between principal and basal cells but not between adjacent principal cells. Cx30.3, 31.1, and 32 were identified in adult rat epididymis by RT-PCR, whereas Cx26 was present in young rats. Postnatal development studies indicate that Cx26 mRNA was detectable only in the caput-corpus region of the epididymis and that levels increased by fivefold during the first 4 wk postnatally, when epithelial cells differentiate, and decrease to nondetectable levels thereafter. Cx31.1 and Cx32 mRNA levels were low throughout the epididymis in young rats and began to increase in the second and third weeks postnatally, when Cx26 levels are decreasing. Both Cx26 and Cx32 were localized to the lateral plasma membranes between adjacent epithelial cells of the epididymis. Colocalization studies indicate that Cx26 and Cx32 exist either independently of one another or can colocalize along the lateral plasma membrane of epithelial cells in young rats or between principal cells in the adult rat epididymis. The presence of multiple connexins (Cxs) and their differential regulation suggest that these play different roles in epididymal development.

scholarly journals Region- and Cell-specific Differences in the Distribution of Carbonic Anhydrases II, III, XII, and XIV in the Adult Rat Epididymis

2005 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 699-713 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis Hermo ◽  
Dennis Lee Chong ◽  
Pierre Moffatt ◽  
William S. Sly ◽  
Abdul Waheed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Initial Segment ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Carbonic Anhydrases ◽  
Basal Cells ◽  
Principal Cells ◽  
Adult Rat ◽  
Rat Epididymis ◽  
Cell Cytosol

We employed RT-PCR followed by light microscope immunocytochemistry on St. Marie's- and Bouin's-fixed tissues to define the distribution of carbonic anhydrase (CA) isoforms in the male reproductive tract. The data revealed that CA II, III, IV, XII, and XIV were expressed in rat epididymis. Whereas CA III was found in principal cells of all epididymal regions, CA II was localized in narrow cells of the initial segment and principal cells of all regions. CA XII expression was most intense in the corpus and proximal cauda regions, where it appeared over the basolateral plasma membranes of principal cells. Narrow cells of the initial segment also revealed intense reactions, as did basal cells of the corpus and proximal cauda regions. Principal cells of the initial segment and proximal caput regions showed diffuse apical cytosolic reactions and occasional basolateral staining for CA XIV, whereas principal cells of distal regions showed more diffuse cytosolic reactions highlighting both apical and basal regions of the cell, with basal cells also being reactive. These data suggest subtle differences in cell type and subcellular- and region-specific distributions for CAs in their role of fine-tuning pH in the lumen, cell cytosol, and intervening intercellular spaces of the epididymis.

scholarly journals Castration causes an increase in lysosomal size and upregulation of cathepsin D expression in principal cells along with increased secretion of procathepsin D and prosaposin oligomers in adult rat epididymis

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0250454
Author(s):  
Lorena Carvelli ◽  
Andrea Carolina Aguilera ◽  
Leila Zyla ◽  
Laura Lucía Pereyra ◽  
Carlos R. Morales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Complex Formation ◽  
Cathepsin D ◽  
Initial Segment ◽  
Lysosomal Enzymes ◽  
Sperm Maturation ◽  
Principal Cells ◽  
Adult Rat ◽  
Rat Epididymis ◽  
Lysosomal Proteins

In the epididymis, lysosomal proteins of the epithelial cells are normally targeted from the Golgi apparatus to lysosomes for degradation, although their secretion into the epididymal lumen has been documented and associated with sperm maturation. In this study, cathepsin D (CatD) and prosaposin (PSAP) were examined in adult epididymis of control, and 2-day castrated rats without (Ct) and with testosterone replacement (Ct+T) to evaluate their expression and regulation within epididymal epithelial cells. By light microscope-immunocytochemistry, a quantitative increase in size of lysosomes in principal cells of Ct animals was noted from the distal initial segment to the proximal cauda. Androgen replacement did not restore the size of lysosomes to control levels. Western blot analysis revealed a significant increase in CatD expression in the epididymis of Ct animals, which suggested an upregulation of its expression in principal cells; androgens restored levels of CatD to that of controls. In contrast, PSAP expression in Ct animals was not altered from controls. Additionally, an increase in procathepsin D levels was noted from samples of the epididymal fluid of Ct compared to control animals, accompanied by an increased complex formation with PSAP. Moreover, an increased oligomerization of prosaposin was observed in the epididymal lumen of Ct rats, with changes reverted to controls in Ct+T animals. Taken together these data suggest castration causes an increased uptake of substrates that are acted upon by CatD in lysosomes of principal cells and in the lumen by procathepsin D. These substrates may be derived from apoptotic cells noted in the lumen of proximal regions and possibly by degenerating sperm in distal regions of the epididymis of Ct animals. Exploring the mechanisms by which lysosomal enzymes are synthesized and secreted by the epididymis may help resolve some of the issues originating from epididymal dysfunctions with relevance to sperm maturation.

Gap junction expression and cell proliferation in differentiating cultures of Cx43 KO mouse hepatocytes

2001 ◽  
Vol 281 (4) ◽  
pp. G1004-G1013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Kojima ◽  
Alfredo Fort ◽  
Mingyuan Tao ◽  
Masao Yamamoto ◽  
David C. Spray
Keyword(s):  
Lucifer Yellow ◽  
Primary Cultures ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Dye Transfer ◽  
Gap Junctional Communication ◽  
Junctional Communication ◽  
Junctional Conductance ◽  
Mouse Hepatocytes

Primary cultures of adult mouse hepatocytes are shown here to reexpress differentiated hepatocyte features following treatment with 2% DMSO and 10−7 M glucagon. To examine the roles of gap junctional communication during hepatocyte growth and differentiation, we have compared treated and untreated hepatocytes from connexin (Cx)32-deficient [Cx32 knockout (KO)] and wild-type mice. In untreated cultures, DNA replication of Cx32 KO hepatocytes was markedly higher than of wild types. Although Cx26 mRNA levels remained high at all time points in wild-type and Cx32 KO hepatocytes, Cx32 mRNA and protein in wild-type hepatocytes underwent a marked decline, which recovered in 10-day treated cultures. Increased levels of Cx26 protein and junctional conductance were observed in Cx32 KO hepatocytes at 96 h in culture, a time when cell growth rate was high. Treatment with DMSO/glucagon highly reinduced Cx26 expression in Cx32 KO hepatocytes, and such treatment reinduced expression of both Cx32 and Cx26 expression in wild types. Dye transfer was not observed following Lucifer yellow injection into DMSO/glucagon-treated Cx32 KO hepatocytes, whereas the spread was extensive in wild types. Nevertheless, high junctional conductance values were observed in treated cells from both genotypes. These studies provide a method by which the differentiated phenotype can be obtained in cultured mouse hepatocytes and provide in vitro evidence that expression of gap junctions formed of Cx32 are involved in the regulation of growth of mouse hepatocytes.

Dexamethasone stimulates transcription of the Na+-K+-ATPase β1gene in adult rat lung epithelial cells

2003 ◽  
Vol 285 (3) ◽  
pp. L593-L601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Hao ◽  
Christine H. Wendt ◽  
Gurpreet Sandhu ◽  
David H. Ingbar
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Lung Epithelial Cells ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Rat Lung ◽  
Alveolar Epithelial ◽  
Adult Rat ◽  
Atpase Gene ◽  
Lung Epithelial

Na+-K+-ATPase plays an essential role in active alveolar epithelial fluid resorption. In fetal and adult alveolar epithelial cells, glucocorticoids (GC) increase Na+-K+-ATPase activity and mRNA levels. We sought to define the mechanism of Na+-K+-ATPase gene upregulation by GC. In a rat alveolar epithelial cell line (RLE), dexamethasone (Dex) increased β1-subunit Na+-K+-ATPase mRNA expression two- to threefold within 3 h after exposure to the GC. The increased gene expression was due to increased transcription as demonstrated by nuclear run-on assays, whereas mRNA stability remained unchanged. Transient transfection of 5′ deletion mutants of a β1promoter-reporter construct demonstrated a 1.5- to 2.2-fold increase in promoter activity by Dex. All of the 5′ deletion constructs contained partial or palindromic GC regulatory elements (GRE) and responded to GC. The increased expression of promoter reporter was inhibited by RU-486, a GC receptor (GR) antagonist, suggesting the involvement of GR. The palindromic GRE at -631 demonstrated Dex induction in a heterologous promoter construct. Gel mobility shift assays using RLE nuclear extracts demonstrated specific binding to this site and the presence of GR. We conclude that GC directly stimulate transcription of Na+-K+-ATPase β1gene expression in adult rat lung epithelial cells through a GR-dependent mechanism that can act at multiple sites.

scholarly journals Plasticity of basal cells during postnatal development in the rat epididymis

Reproduction ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 146 (5) ◽  
pp. 455-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Winnie W C Shum ◽  
Eric Hill ◽  
Dennis Brown ◽  
Sylvie Breton
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Postnatal Development ◽  
Tight Junctions ◽  
Vas Deferens ◽  
Structural Plasticity ◽  
Basal Cells ◽  
Cytokeratin 5 ◽  
Rat Epididymis ◽  
Immunofluorescence Labeling

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.

scholarly journals Structural Features of Cultured Epithelial Cells from the Adult Rat Epididymis

1983 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 347-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
GARY E. OLSON ◽  
J. JONAS-DAVIES ◽  
LOREN H. HOFFMAN ◽  
MARIE-CLAIRE ORGEBIN-CRIST
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Adult Rat ◽  
Cultured Epithelial Cells ◽  
Rat Epididymis
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