Identification,characterization and expression analysis of rLcn13,an epididymal lipocalin in rats  

作　　者：Guangxin Yao Shengsong Xie Xiaofeng Wan Ling Zhang Qiang Liu Shuanggang Hu 

机构地区：[1]Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics,Center for Reproductive Medicine,Renji Hospital,School of Medicine,Shanghai Jiao Tong University,Shanghai 200135,China [2]Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics,Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education&Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs,Huazhong Agricultural University,Wuhan 430070,China [3]National Health Commission(NHC)Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation,Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies,Shanghai 200032,China [4]Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine,Department of Histoembryology,Genetics and Developmental Biology,School of Medicine,Shanghai Jiao Tong University,Shanghai 200025,China

出　　处：《Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica》2023年第2期314-321,共8页生物化学与生物物理学报（英文版）

基　　金：This work was supported by the grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.31900598,81571435 and 31900411);the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2022YFC2702701);the Open Project Fund from Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation of NHC(No.KF2018-04);Innovative Research Team of High-level Local Universities in Shanghai(Nos.SHSMU-ZLCX20210201 and SSMU-ZLCX20180401).

摘　　要：As the essential tissue for sperm maturation and storage,the epididymis secretes a number of tissue-specific proteins to exert its functions.Among these proteins,epididymal lipocalins have been intensively studied because of their epididymis-specific expression pattern and clustered genomic organization.In this study,rLcn13,a member of the rat epididymal lipocalin family,is identified and elaborately characterized.The cDNA sequence of rLcn13 consists of 719 nucleotides and encodes a 176 amino-acid protein with a predicted N-terminal signal peptide of 19 amino acids.rLcn13 shares a similar genomic structure and predicted 3D protein structure with other lipocalin family members.A recombinant rLCN13 mature peptide of 157 amino acids is expressed and purified,which is used to raise a polyclonal antibody against rLCN13 with high specificity and sensitivity.Northern blot,western blot,and immunohistochemistry assays reveal that rLcn13 is an epididymis-specific gene which is expressed predominantly in the initial segment and proximal caput epididymis and influenced by androgen.The rLCN13 protein is modified by N-glycosylation and secreted into the epididymal lumen,and then binds to the acrosome region of the sperm.Our data demonstrate that rLcn13 exhibits a specific temporospatial expression pattern and androgen dependence,indicating its potential roles in sperm maturation.

关 键 词：EPIDIDYMIS lipocalin rLcn13 sperm maturation 

分 类 号：Q5[生物学—生物化学]