ULK1 affects cell viability of goat Sertoli cell by modulating both autophagy and apoptosis

Sertoli cells (SCs) are necessary for proper germ cell development and viability. Unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase (ULK1) protein kinase is an important regulator of autophagy activation. This study aims to investigate the role of autophagy promoter ULK1 on cell viability of goat SCs. Our results showed that ULK1 knockdown in goat SCs decreased autophagy activation, which was confirmed by decreased expression of autophagy-related markers including LC3, Beclin1, Atg5, and Atg7 (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, lower ULK1 levels resulted in decreased expressions of goat SC marker genes ABP, AMH, FASL, and GATA4. However, a reverse trend of these parameters occurred when the goat SCs were transfected with ULK1 overexpression construct; higher ULK1 levels in goat SCs also decreased the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2. Moreover, ULK1 overexpression in goat SCs activated the autophagy levels when cells were exposed to an environmental contaminant bisphenol A (BPA). The above results indicated that ULK1 gene might play important roles in goat SC function by regulating cell viability.