The epididymis-specific antimicrobial peptide β-defensin 15 is required for sperm motility and male fertility in the rat (Rattus norvegicus)

被引：0
作者：
Yue Zhao
Hua Diao
Zimei Ni
Shuanggang Hu
Heguo Yu
Yonglian Zhang
机构：
[1] Chinese Academy of Sciences,Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Andrology, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences
[2] Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research,undefined
[3] The Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,undefined
来源：
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences | 2011年 / 68卷
关键词：
β-Defensin; Epididymis; Sperm maturation; Sperm motility; Male fertility; Antimicrobial activity;
D O I：
暂无
中图分类号：
学科分类号：
摘要：
Spermatozoa acquire forward motility and fertilizing capacity during their transit through the epididymis. The maturation process involves modifications of the sperm surface by different proteins that are secreted by a series of specialized regions in the epididymal epithelium. Here we show that the rat epididymis-specific β-defensin 15 (Defb15) exhibits an androgen-dependent expression pattern, and it can bind to the acrosomal region of caput sperm. Coculture of caput spermatozoa with Defb15 antibody in vitro resulted in a significant decline in sperm motility. Moreover, the total and progressive motility of the spermatozoa dramatically decreased in rats when Defb15 was downregulated by lentivirus-mediated RNAi in vivo. Remarkably, knock down of Defb15 led to a reduction in fertility and embryonic development failure. In addition, the recombinant Defb15 showed antimicrobial activity in a dose-dependent fashion. These results suggest that Defb15 plays a dual role in both sperm maturation and pathogen defense in rat epididymis.
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页码：697 / 708
页数：11
相关论文
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