Developmental and stage-dependent expression of melanin-concentrating hormone in mammalian germ cells.

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a cyclic peptide predominantly expressed in the hypothalamus of mammals. This peptide modulates the stress response and regulates many goal-oriented behaviors in the rat brain. MCH mRNA and peptides generated from the precursor, namely MCH and neuropeptide (N) glutamic acid (E) isoleucine (I) amide (NEI), were also found in rodent peripheral tissues including those in adult testis. In the present study, we first examined the cellular distribution and content of MCH gene products and peptide in the testes of adult rats. Using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction with MCH gene primers and in situ hybridization with specific 33P-labeled oligoprobes, we characterized the MCH RNA species. Pro-MCH products were revealed through use of immunoperoxidase detection and an RIA with specific MCH and NEI antisera. Both MCH gene transcripts and MCH peptide were found within germ cells at the periphery of some of the seminiferous tubules of adult rats. We further investigated temporal expression of MCH in 7-microns sections of testes from adult rats and mice. MCH was predominantly found in nuclei of spermatogonia at stages II-IV of spermatogenesis and in nuclei of leptotene and zygotene spermatocytes (at stages IX- XIII). MCH was markedly absent in preleptotene spermatocytes at the stage VII-VIII, and MCH immunoreactivity was no longer detectable as spermatocytes underwent the pachytene step. MCH immunoreactivity was also found in some peritubular cells, mainly at stages II-IV. Finally, we studied MCH expression during puberty in the rat, in sterile mutant mice, and in one adult man. We found predominant staining with MCH antiserum over nuclei of immature germ cells as early as 10 days postpartum in the rat and further confirmed the absence of staining except for that in spermatogonia and early spermatocytes during rat postnatal development. MCH distribution was found to be similar in normal and sterile mutant mice, suggesting that MCH expression is not dependent upon the early steps of spermiogenesis. MCH immunoreactivity was found to be confined to the nuclei of spermatogonia and early spermatocytes in the adult man. Our results indicate that MCH is present predominantly within nuclei of spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes in three mammalian species and that its expression is under strong stage-specific and developmental regulation. This peptide may play a role during stem cell renewal and/or differentiation of early spermatocytes.