Male Reproductive Tract

Androgen-Regulated Genes in the Murine Epididymis

Abstract
The epididymis is an androgen responsive tissue where spermatozoa mature and gain motility. The three major regions of the epididymis; caput, corpus, cauda are known to have different functions and exhibit varied gene expression. Specific genes within the different regions of the epididymis have been identified to be under the influence of androgens. The goal of this study was to begin to elucidate the profile of androgen responsive genes that may be important for sperm maturation using the Affymetrix MGU74Av2 GeneChip oligonucleotide microarray platform. Adult mice (B6/129 strain) were castrated and treated six days after castration with two injections of 5 mg of DHT or oil over a 48 hour period. The mice were sacrificed 48 hours later and total RNA was purified from the caput, corpus, and cauda regions of the epididymis. Using GeneSpring 5.0 (Silicon Genetics) software, transcripts were identified that were up-regulated 2-fold or more by DHT in the caput (33 transcripts) the corpus (8 transcripts) and the cauda (9 transcripts).

Key words: Male Reproductive Tract • Androgen receptor • Epididymis

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