Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214062, China.
State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproduction and Genetics, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215002, China.
Mol Biol Rep. 2022 Aug;49(8):7557-7566. doi: 10.1007/s11033-022-07564-1. Epub 2022 May 23.
Interactions between Sertoli and germ cells are essential for spermatogenesis and male fertility. However, the mechanism of action underlying these interactions in the testes remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the distribution and function of syntaxin binding protein 2 (STXBP2) in the mammalian testis. METHODS AND RESULTS: First, we found that STXBP2 was mainly expressed in Sertoli cells. Then, to explore the function of STXBP2 in the testes, we assessed the effects of Stxbp2 knockdown on neonatal testicular and spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) development. Our results revealed that STXBP2 was required for the migration of Sertoli cells and germ cell survival. Mechanistically, we found that STXBP2 interacted with connexin 43 (Cx43) and regulated its expression.
Taken together, our results demonstrated a novel regulatory mechanism in which the STXBP2/Cx43 complex is essential for the maintenance of Sertoli-germline interactions.
Sertoli 细胞和生殖细胞之间的相互作用对于精子发生和男性生育能力至关重要。然而，睾丸中这些相互作用的作用机制在很大程度上仍然未知。在这项研究中，我们研究了突触结合蛋白 2（STXBP2）在哺乳动物睾丸中的分布和功能。
首先，我们发现 STXBP2 主要在 Sertoli 细胞中表达。然后，为了探索 STXBP2 在睾丸中的功能，我们评估了 Stxbp2 敲低对新生睾丸和精原干细胞（SSC）发育的影响。我们的结果表明，STXBP2 对于 Sertoli 细胞的迁移和生殖细胞的存活是必需的。在机制上，我们发现 STXBP2 与连接蛋白 43（Cx43）相互作用并调节其表达。
综上所述，我们的结果表明了一种新的调节机制，即 STXBP2/Cx43 复合物对于维持 Sertoli-生殖细胞相互作用是必不可少的。
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