Spatial and temporal expression of germ cell nuclear factor in murine epididymis.
- Author:
Zong-Yao ZHOU
1
;
Chen XU
;
Qiang-Su GUO
;
Yuan-Xin HU
;
Yong-Lian ZHANG
;
Yi-Fei WANG
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH: Aging; Animals; DNA-Binding Proteins; analysis; Epididymis; chemistry; growth & development; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microscopy, Confocal; Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 6, Group A, Member 1; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; analysis; Tissue Distribution
- From: Asian Journal of Andrology 2004;6(1):23-28
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
AIMTo investigate the spatial and temporal expression of germ cell nuclear factor (GCNF) in mouse and rat epididymis during postnatal period.
METHODSThe epididymal sections from different postnatal days were stained for GCNF by the indirect immunofluorescence technique and digital photographs were taken by a Carl Zeiss confocal microscope.
RESULTSGCNF was first detected on day 12 in mouse epididymis and day 14 in rat epididymis. The highest expression of GCNF was observed on day 35 in both mouse and rat epididymis. In adults, GCNF exhibited a region-specific expression pattern, i.e., it was expressed predominantly in the initial segment, caput and proximal corpus of rat epididymis and was abundant in the proximal corpus of mouse epididymis. GCNF could be found in the nuclei of the principal, apical, narrow, clear and halo cells.
CONCLUSIONGCNF may play an important role in epididymal differentiation and development and in sperm maturation.
