Jung K Y, Kim B H, Hwang M R, Cho J R, Kim H M, Lee Y C, Kim C H, Kim J K, Kim B J, Choo Y K
Divison of Biological Science, college of Natural Sciences, and Medicinal Resources Research Center of Wonkwang University, Jeonbuk, Korea.
Arch Pharm Res. 2001 Aug;24(4):360-6. doi: 10.1007/BF02975107.
Gangliosides are ubiquitous membrane components in mammalian cells and are suggested to play important roles in various functions such as cell-cell interaction, adhesion, cell differentiation, growth control and signaling. Among all ganglio-series gangliosides, GM3 has the simplest carbohydrate structure, and has been shown as a major ganglioside in male reproductive system. To study GM3 distribution in the seminiferous tubule and epididymis, frozen sections were stained with specific monoclonal antibody (MAb) against ganglioside GM3. In the seminiferous tubule of testis, pachytene spermatocytes and spermatids expressed ganglioside GM3, but not in spermatogonia and sertoli cells. Spermatogonia and sertoli cells near the basement membrane were negatively reacted to anti-GM3. In the epididymis, GM3 was expressed only in some interstitial cells. Taken together, these results suggest that the expression of ganglioside GM3 in rat seminiferous tubule and epididymis is spatio-temporally regulated during spermatogenesis.
神经节苷脂是哺乳动物细胞中普遍存在的膜成分，据推测在细胞间相互作用、黏附、细胞分化、生长控制和信号传导等各种功能中发挥重要作用。在所有神经节系列神经节苷脂中，GM3具有最简单的碳水化合物结构，并且已被证明是雄性生殖系统中的主要神经节苷脂。为了研究GM3在生精小管和附睾中的分布，用针对神经节苷脂GM3的特异性单克隆抗体（MAb）对冰冻切片进行染色。在睾丸的生精小管中，粗线期精母细胞和精子细胞表达神经节苷脂GM3，但精原细胞和支持细胞中不表达。靠近基底膜的精原细胞和支持细胞对抗GM3呈阴性反应。在附睾中，GM3仅在一些间质细胞中表达。综上所述，这些结果表明，神经节苷脂GM3在大鼠生精小管和附睾中的表达在精子发生过程中受到时空调节。
