Abstract
Prolactin family 7, subfamily d, member 1 (PRL7D1) is found in mouse placenta. Our recent work showed that PRL7D1 is also present in mouse testis Leydig cells, and the expression of PRL7D1 in the testis exhibits an age-related increase. In the present study, we generated transgenic mice with Leydig cell-specific PRL7D1 overexpression to explore its function during male reproduction. Prl7d1 male mice exhibited subfertility as reflected by reduced sperm counts and litter sizes. The testes from Prl7d1 transgenic mice appeared histologically normal, but the frequency of apoptotic germ cells was increased. Prl7d1 transgenic mice also had lower testosterone concentrations than wild-type mice. Mechanistic studies revealed that Prl7d1 transgenic mice have defects in the testicular expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (STAR) and hydroxy-delta-5-steroid dehydrogenase, 3 beta- and steroid delta-isomerase cluster (HSD3B). Further studies revealed that PRL7D1 overexpression affected the expression of transferrin (TF) in Sertoli cells. These results suggest that PRL7D1 overexpression could lead to increased germ cell apoptosis and exert an inhibitory effect on testosterone production in Leydig cells by reducing the expression of certain steroidogenic-related genes. In addition, PRL7D1 appears to have important roles in the function of Sertoli cells, which, in turn, affects male fertility. We conclude that the expression level of PRL7D1 is associated with the reproductive function of male mice.
Highlights
Prolactin (Prl) family genes are located on chromosome 13 in mice and chromosome 17 in rats and are expressed mainly in the pituitary gland, uterus and/or placenta [1,2,3]
A fragment of the luteinizing hormone receptor (Lhr) upstream promoter had been previously validated to be sufficient for the expression of transgene in Leydig cells of testis [19,20]
Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) genotyping, we identified two male founder mice (Lines 1 and 10) that were positive for the mouse Prl7d1 transgene (Figure 1B)
Summary
Prolactin (Prl) family genes are located on chromosome 13 in mice and chromosome 17 in rats and are expressed mainly in the pituitary gland, uterus and/or placenta [1,2,3]. 26 mouse Prl family members have been identified, including prolactin-like proteins, placental lactogens, prolactin family 2, subfamily c, member 2 (Prl2c2) and prolactin family 7, subfamily d, member 1 (Prl7d1). The majority of these genes are associated with female reproduction [3,4,5]. Our previous study showed that PRL7D1 was expressed in both rat and mouse testis Leydig cells. Male mice overexpressing Prl7d exhibited alterations of testosterone secretion and spermatogenesis This demonstrated that an appropriate level of PRL7D1 expression was critical for the development and function of mouse testis
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
