The epididymis-specific antimicrobial peptide β-defensin 15 is required for sperm motility and male fertility in the rat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rattus norvegicus</Emphasis>) |
| |
Authors: | Yue Zhao Hua Diao Zimei Ni Shuanggang Hu Heguo Yu Yonglian Zhang |
| |
Institution: | (1) Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Andrology, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200031 Shanghai, China;(2) Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, 200031 Shanghai, China;(3) The Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200031 Shanghai, China; |
| |
Abstract: | Spermatozoa acquire forward motility and fertilizing capacity during their transit through the epididymis. The maturation
process involves modifications of the sperm surface by different proteins that are secreted by a series of specialized regions
in the epididymal epithelium. Here we show that the rat epididymis-specific β-defensin 15 (Defb15) exhibits an androgen-dependent expression pattern, and it can bind to the acrosomal region of caput sperm. Coculture of
caput spermatozoa with Defb15 antibody in vitro resulted in a significant decline in sperm motility. Moreover, the total and
progressive motility of the spermatozoa dramatically decreased in rats when Defb15 was downregulated by lentivirus-mediated RNAi in vivo. Remarkably, knock down of Defb15 led to a reduction in fertility and embryonic development failure. In addition, the recombinant Defb15 showed antimicrobial
activity in a dose-dependent fashion. These results suggest that Defb15 plays a dual role in both sperm maturation and pathogen
defense in rat epididymis. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|