Androgens regulate the permeability of the blood-testis barrier

Jing Meng; Robert W Holdcraft; James E Shima; Michael D Griswold; Robert E Braun

doi:10.1073/pnas.0506084102

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Androgens regulate the permeability of the blood-testis barrier

Journal article

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Androgens regulate the permeability of the blood-testis barrier

Jing Meng, Robert W Holdcraft, James E Shima, Michael D Griswold and Robert E Braun

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS, Vol.102(46), pp.16696-16700

11/15/2005

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0506084102

Handle:

https://hdl.handle.net/2376/103445

PMCID: PMC1283811

PMID: 16275920

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Abstract

Cell Line

Testis - metabolism

Androgens - physiology

Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis

Testis - cytology

Membrane Proteins - genetics

Male

Gene Expression Profiling

Permeability

DNA Primers

Claudin-3

Animals

Blood-Testis Barrier

Base Sequence

Mice

Microscopy, Fluorescence

Within the mammalian testis, specialized tight junctions between somatic Sertoli cells create basal and apical polarity within the cells, restrict movement of molecules between cells, and separate the seminiferous epithelium into basal and adluminal compartments. These tight junctions form the basis of the blood-testis barrier, a structure whose function and dynamic regulation is poorly understood. In this study, we used microarray gene expression profiling to identify genes with altered transcript levels in a mouse model for conditional androgen insensitivity. We show that testosterone, acting through its receptor expressed in Sertoli cells, regulates the expression of claudin 3, which encodes a transient component of newly formed tight junctions. Sertoli cell-specific ablation of androgen receptor results in increased permeability of the blood-testis barrier to biotin, suggesting claudin 3 regulates the movement of small molecules across the Sertoli cell tight junctions. These results suggest that androgen action in Sertoli cells regulates germ cell differentiation, in part by controlling the microenvironment of the seminiferous epithelium. Our studies also indicate that hormonal strategies for male contraception may interfere with the blood-testis barrier.

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Title: Androgens regulate the permeability of the blood-testis barrier
Creators: Jing Meng - Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Robert W Holdcraft
James E Shima
Michael D Griswold
Robert E Braun
Publication Details: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS, Vol.102(46), pp.16696-16700
Academic Unit: Molecular Biosciences, School of
Publisher: United States
Grant note: U54 HD012629 / NICHD NIH HHS HD12629 / NICHD NIH HHS P50 HD012629 / NICHD NIH HHS
Identifiers: 99900546677001842
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article