Analysis Tools
reproductive system
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• adult male mice are fertile and show no significant differences in gross testis morphology, testis/body weight ratio, sperm morphology or sperm motility relative to wild-type control males
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• adult males show a significant decrease in cauda epididymal sperm concentration relative to wild-type control males
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• spermatids show aberrant F-actin organization in the apical ectoplasmic specialization (ES) junction, resulting in retention of mature spermatozoa within the seminiferous epithelium
• although apical ES formation is normal, F-actin bundles are unable to disassemble and the apical ES synchronously stretches along with the acrosome, rather than being completely removed from the acrosome region as in wild-type mature spermatozoa
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• testes show significantly increased levels of the actin-binding protein ESPN (espin), whereas Espn mRNA levels are similar to those in wild-type testes
• ubiquitination analysis of testicular lysates showed that levels of poly-ubiquitinated ESPN are significantly lower than in wild-type testes
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• although spermatogenesis is complete, many mature spermatozoa are abnormally retained in the seminiferous epithelium at stages IX to XI of the epithelial cycle, indicating spermiation failure
• marked accumulation of ESPN (espin) protein is observed in the retained mature spermatozoa
• spermiation failure is likely due to impaired ASB17-mediated ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of ESPN
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cellular
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• adult males show a significant decrease in cauda epididymal sperm concentration relative to wild-type control males
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endocrine/exocrine glands
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• spermatids show aberrant F-actin organization in the apical ectoplasmic specialization (ES) junction, resulting in retention of mature spermatozoa within the seminiferous epithelium
• although apical ES formation is normal, F-actin bundles are unable to disassemble and the apical ES synchronously stretches along with the acrosome, rather than being completely removed from the acrosome region as in wild-type mature spermatozoa
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• testes show significantly increased levels of the actin-binding protein ESPN (espin), whereas Espn mRNA levels are similar to those in wild-type testes
• ubiquitination analysis of testicular lysates showed that levels of poly-ubiquitinated ESPN are significantly lower than in wild-type testes
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