RGD Reference Report - Differential expression of genes encoding constitutive and inducible 20S proteasomal core subunits in the testis and epididymis of theophylline- or 1,3-dinitrobenzene-exposed rats. - Rat Genome Database

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Differential expression of genes encoding constitutive and inducible 20S proteasomal core subunits in the testis and epididymis of theophylline- or 1,3-dinitrobenzene-exposed rats.

Authors: Tengowski, MW  Feng, D  Sutovsky, M  Sutovsky, P 
Citation: Tengowski MW, etal., Biol Reprod. 2007 Jan;76(1):149-63. Epub 2006 Sep 20.
RGD ID: 2303051
Pubmed: PMID:16988215   (View Abstract at PubMed)
DOI: DOI:10.1095/biolreprod.106.053173   (Journal Full-text)

Theophylline (THP) and 1,3-dinitrobenzene (DNB) are thought to induce infertility by incapacitating the nurturing Sertoli cells and causing germ cell apoptosis in the testicular seminiferous epithelium, respectively. We hypothesized that THP and DNB exposure would alter the expression of the genes within the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP), implicated in spermatogenesis and epididymal sperm quality control. Rats were fed 0 or 8000 ppm of THP and necropsied on Days 18, 30, and 42 or administered 0, 2, or 6 mg/kg DNB via oral gavage and necropsied on Day 7. Tissues were collected from the testis and the caput, corpus, and cauda regions of the epididymis for transcriptional profiling by semiquantitative RT-PCR, real-time RT-PCR, and histopathology. Target UPP genes included those encoding for constitutive the 20S proteasomal core subunits Psmb1 (beta1), Psmb2 (beta2), and Psmb5 (beta5); the inducible 20S core subunits Psmb9 (LMP2), Psmb8 (LMP7), and Psmb10 (LMP10); and Ube1 (ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1), Ube2d3 (ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2), and Uchl1 (ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase PGP9.5). Spermatozoa were collected from the cauda epididymis for analysis by light microscopy and flow cytometric evaluation of sperm surface ubiquitin. These data show that reprotoxic exposure alters the tissue-specific expression of UPP genes in the testis and epididymis, which may contribute to the aberrant spermatogenesis and epididymal processing of both normal and defective spermatozoa. Transcriptional profiling and flow cytometric analysis of the UPP thus captures the prodromal effects of reproductive toxicity not captured by conventional histology and functional cytology. Complementing seminal analysis with these measures may be useful in screening drug-induced toxicity or environmental infertility.

Gene Ontology Annotations    Click to see Annotation Detail View

Biological Process
TermQualifierEvidenceWithReferenceNotesSourceOriginal Reference(s)
response to alkaloid  IEP 2303051theophyllineRGD 
response to benzene  IEP 23030511 and 3-dinitrobenzeneRGD 
response to organic cyclic compound  IEP 2303051 RGD 
response to organonitrogen compound  IEP 2303051 RGD 

Objects Annotated

Genes (Rattus norvegicus)
Psmb2  (proteasome 20S subunit beta 2)
Psmb9  (proteasome 20S subunit beta 9)


Additional Information