Rat testicular germ cells and sertoli cells release different types of bioactive transforming growth factor beta in vitro

Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology

Katja J Teerds¹  Axel PN Themmen³  Jos W Hoogerbrugge³  Bart L Haagmans² 

[1] Department of Animal Sciences, Human and Animal Physiology Group, Wageningen University, Haarweg 10, 6709 PJ Wageningen, The Netherlands;Present address: Institute of Virology, Erasmus MC, POBox 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam. The Netherlands;Department of Endocrinology and Reproduction, Medical Faculty, Erasmus University Rotterdam, POBox 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands

关键词: Sertoli cells;    round and elongating spermatids;    spermatocytes;    TGF-β release;   

Others  :  1157030
DOI  :  10.1186/1477-7827-1-3

 received in 2003-01-21, accepted in 2003-02-05,  发布年份 2003

【 摘 要 】

Several in vivo studies have reported the presence of immunoreactive transforming growth factor-β's (TGF-β's) in testicular cells at defined stages of their differentiation. The most pronounced changes in TGF-β₁ and TGF-β₂ immunoreactivity occurred during spermatogenesis. In the present study we have investigated whether germ cells and Sertoli cells are able to secrete bioactive TGF-β's in vitro, using the CCl64 mink lung epithelial cell line as bioassay for the measurement of TGF-β. In cellular lysates, TGF-β bioactivity was only observed following heat-treatment, indicating that within these cells TGF-β is present in a latent form. To our surprise, active TGF-β could be detected in the culture supernatant of germ cells and Sertoli cells without prior heat-treatment. This suggests that these cells not only produce and release TGF-β in a latent form, but that they also release a factor which can convert latent TGF-β into its active form. Following heat-activation of these culture supernatant's, total TGF-β bioactivity increased 6- to 9-fold. Spermatocytes are the cell type that releases most bioactive TGF-β during a 24 h culture period, although round and elongated spermatids and Sertoli cells also secrete significant amounts of TGF-β. The biological activity of TGF-β could be inhibited by neutralizing antibodies against TGF-β₁ (spermatocytes and round spermatids) and TGF-β₂ (round and elongating spermatids). TGF-β activity in the Sertoli cell culture supernatant was inhibited slightly by either the TGF-β₁ and TGF-β₂ neutralizing antibody.

These in vitro data suggest that germ cells and Sertoli cells release latent TGF-β's. Following secretion, the TGF-β's are converted to a biological active form that can interact with specific TGF-β receptors. These results strengthen the hypothesis that TGF-β's may play a physiological role in germ cell proliferation/differentiation and Sertoli cell function.

【 授权许可】

   
2003 Haagmans et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article: verbatim copying and redistribution of this article are permitted in all media for any purpose, provided this notice is preserved along with the article's original URL.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

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