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BOR - Papers in Press, published online ahead of print September 17, 2008.
Biol Reprod 2008, 10.1095/biolreprod.108.070615
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BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION 80, 153–161 (2009)
DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.108.070615
© 2009 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Inc.

Cortactin (CTTN), N-WASP (WASL), and Clathrin (CLTC) Are Present at Podosome-Like Tubulobulbar Complexes in the Rat Testis1

J'Nelle S. Young 3, Julian A. Guttman 4, Kuljeet S. Vaid 3, Hasmik Shahinian 3, and A. Wayne Vogl 2 3

Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences3, Faculty of Medicine, Life Sciences Centre, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z3 Department of Biological Sciences4, Simon Fraser University, Shrum Science Centre, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6

ABSTRACT

Tubulobulbar complexes are actin filament-rich plasma membrane protrusions that form at intercellular junctions in the seminiferous epithelium of the mammalian testis. They are proposed to internalize intact junctions during sperm release and during the translocation of spermatocytes through basal junction complexes between neighboring Sertoli cells. Tubulobulbar complexes morphologically resemble podosomes found at cell/substrate attachments in other systems. In this study we probe apical tubulobulbar complexes in fixed epithelial fragments and fixed frozen sections of rat testis for two key actin-related components found at podosomes, and for the endocytosis-related protein clathrin. N-WASP and cortactin, two regulators of actin network assembly known to be components of podosomes, are concentrated at tubulobulbar complexes. Clathrin-positive structures occur in Sertoli cell regions containing tubulobulbar complexes when analyzed by immunofluorescence microscopy and occur at the ends of the complexes when evaluated by immunoelectron microscopy. Our results are consistent with the conclusion that tubulobulbar complexes are podosome-like structures. We propose that the formation of tubulobulbar complexes may be clathrin initiated and that their growth is due to the dendritic assembly of a membrane-related actin network.

cortactin (CTTN), clathrin (CLTC), male reproductive tract, N-WASP (WASL), Sertoli cells, spermatogenesis, testis, tubulobulbar complexes

FOOTNOTES

1Supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada grant RGPIN 155397-08 to A.W.V.

Correspondence: 2A. Wayne Vogl, Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Life Sciences Centre, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3. FAX: 604 822 2316; e-mail: vogl{at}interchange.ubc.ca






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Copyright © 2009 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction.