Estrogens are known to influence functional properties of mammalian spermatozoa inducing rapid responses through the classical estrogen receptors (ER and ER). Recently, the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) has been identified as mediator of fast non-genomic estrogen effects in different cells. This work investigated the expression of GPER in human and pig spermatozoa using immunofluorescence, Western blot analysis and RT-PCR. GPER was found to be confined to the mid-piece of human sperm cells, whereas it was detected in the acrosomal region, the equatorial segment and the mid-piece of pig spermatozoa. Furthermore, in the male gametes of both species, the immunoblots of sperm extracts revealed a band at similar to 42kDa, consistent with the GPER molecular weight, and RT-PCR detected the GPER transcripts. This is the first report demonstrating the expression of GPER in human and pig mature sperm cells and evidencing its species-specific cellular localization.

Identification of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor in human and pig spermatozoa.

RAGO, VITTORIA;GIORDANO, Francesca;BRUNELLI, Elvira
Membro del Collaboration Group
;
Aquila, S;CARPINO, Amalia
2014-01-01

Abstract

Estrogens are known to influence functional properties of mammalian spermatozoa inducing rapid responses through the classical estrogen receptors (ER and ER). Recently, the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) has been identified as mediator of fast non-genomic estrogen effects in different cells. This work investigated the expression of GPER in human and pig spermatozoa using immunofluorescence, Western blot analysis and RT-PCR. GPER was found to be confined to the mid-piece of human sperm cells, whereas it was detected in the acrosomal region, the equatorial segment and the mid-piece of pig spermatozoa. Furthermore, in the male gametes of both species, the immunoblots of sperm extracts revealed a band at similar to 42kDa, consistent with the GPER molecular weight, and RT-PCR detected the GPER transcripts. This is the first report demonstrating the expression of GPER in human and pig mature sperm cells and evidencing its species-specific cellular localization.
2014
G protein-coupled estrogen receptor; human spermatozoa; pig spermatozoa
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11770/148977
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