Smooth muscle actin and vimentin as markers of testis development in the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)

Journal of Anatomy
W V HoltP M Bennett

Abstract

Testicular development in the harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena was examined using animals (n = 192) stranded or by-caught off the coast of England, Wales and Scotland. Classification of animals according to their stage of sexual development was undertaken using gonadal morphology and the distribution of cytoskeletal proteins. Smooth muscle actin (SMA) and vimentin proved particularly useful in this respect; SMA was prominent in the myoid peritubular cells of the adult testis, and two stages of peritubular cell SMA expression could be recognized ('absent' or 'incomplete'). The initial appearance of SMA in peritubular cells was associated with significant increases in body length and body weight (P < 0.001), and occurred during the second year of life. Vimentin, which was prominent in prespermatogonia and spermatogonia, sometimes showed a polarized cytoplasmic distribution. This correlated with a developmental stage at which the seminiferous tubule epithelium becomes populated by germ cells (mean age 1.8 years). Several antibodies were tested for their utility as Sertoli cell markers, but none was found to be specific or useful. Nevertheless, immunohistochemical localization of desmin, GATA-4, Ki67 and androgen receptor was pos...Continue Reading

Citations

Nov 11, 2005·Biology of Reproduction·Frederick C L BanksGeoffrey Burnstock
Mar 31, 2019·Biology of Reproduction·Sadman SakibIna Dobrinski
Oct 21, 2020·In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology. Animal·Andrey V BorodaMariia A Maiorova

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