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Regular Article |
a Department of Biological Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
b Pest Animal Control Cooperative Research Centre, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
Analyses of samples of luminal fluid from the rete testis, distal efferent ducts, and epididymal regions 2–5 and 8 revealed that 91% of the fluid leaving the testis is reabsorbed by the efferent ducts, 79% of the remainder is reabsorbed proximal to epididymal regions 4 and 5, and there is a net secretion of fluid into the duct caudally. There is a net reabsorption by the efferent ducts of 73% of the protein leaving the testis and then a net secretion along the epididymis. SDS-PAGE of the luminal fluids indicated that four new protein bands that were not present in blood appeared in the efferent ducts, 5 in epididymal regions 1–5, 6 in regions 6 and 7, and one in region 8. Two bands in samples from the efferent ducts were absent caudally, and one band present in region 7 was absent in region 8. The rates of incorporation of 35S-methionine into minced duct in vitro varied among regions when expressed per milligram of wet weight of tissue (region 2–5 > region 7 > region 6 > region 1 > region 8 > ductuli efferentes), and orchidectomy had little effect on the rates. Incorporation into four proteins that were secreted in vitro (Mr 38 000, 20 000, 15 000, and 13 000) was reduced or abolished by orchidectomy and restored by testosterone therapy. The secretion of three proteins (Mr 52 000, 23 000, and 22 000) was reduced or abolished by orchidectomy and not restored by testosterone therapy. SDS-PAGE of detergent extracts of sperm indicated that five proteins were lost and nine were gained during epididymal transit. Seven of the proteins gained were about the same molecular weight as proteins secreted by the epididymis (Mr 94 000, 52 000, 38 000, 36 000, 22 000, 20 000, and 13 000) and were analyzed using N-terminal amino acid microsequencing.
1 This work was supported by grants from the Australian Research Council, Research Management Committee, University of Newcastle, and the Vertebrate Biocontrol Cooperative Research Centre, Canberra, Australia. B.N. was supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award and a Vertebrate Biocontrol Cooperative Research Centre Student Award.
2 Correspondence. FAX: 61 2 4921 6923;bircj{at}cc.newcastle.edu.au
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