Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
1999-1-28
pubmed:abstractText
The recently discovered estrogen receptor-beta (ERbeta) is expressed in rodent and human testes. To obtain insight in the physiological role of ERbeta we have investigated the cell type-specific expression pattern of ERbeta messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein in the testis of rats of various ages by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. In fetal testes of rats 16 days postcoitum and testes of 4-day-old animals, fetal germ cells (gonocytes) reveal the ERbeta mRNA in their cytoplasm and the ERbeta protein in their nucleus. In testes of 11- and 15-day-old rats, ERbeta mRNA and protein were detected in Sertoli cells and type A spermatogonia. No signal was found in other types of germ cells. In the adult testes, expression of ERbeta mRNA as well as ERbeta protein was found in pachytene spermatocytes from epithelial stages VII-XIV and in round spermatids from stages I-VIII. Low ERbeta expression was observed in all type A spermatogonia, including undifferentiated A spermatogonia, whereas no expression was found in In and type B spermatogonia and early spermatocytes. At all ages, Sertoli cells showed a weak hybridization signal as well as weak immunoreactivity for ERbeta. In adult testes, no ERbeta mRNA or protein was detected in the interstitial tissue, indicating that Leydig cells and peritubular myoid cells do not express ERbeta. The expression of ERbeta in fetal and late male germ cells as well as in Sertoli cells suggests that estrogens directly affect germ cells during testicular development and spermatogenesis.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
AIM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jan
pubmed:issn
0013-7227
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
140
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
478-83
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1999
pubmed:articleTitle
Ontogeny of estrogen receptor-beta expression in rat testis.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Cell Biology, Medical School, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. A.Pelt@pobox.accu.uu.nl
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't