期刊
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
卷 68, 期 4, 页码 697-708出版社
SPRINGER BASEL AG
DOI: 10.1007/s00018-010-0478-4
关键词
beta-Defensin; Epididymis; Sperm maturation; Sperm motility; Male fertility; Antimicrobial activity
资金
- National Basic Science Research and Development Project of China [2006CB504002, 2006CB944002]
- Chinese Academy of Sciences [KSCX1-YW-R-54, KSCX2-YW-R-54]
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [30930053]
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 beta-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.
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