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  • Title: Developmental regulation of the bcl-2 family during spermatogenesis: insights into the sterility of bcl-w-/- male mice.
    Author: Meehan T, Loveland KL, de Kretser D, Cory S, Print CG.
    Journal: Cell Death Differ; 2001 Mar; 8(3):225-33. PubMed ID: 11319605.
    Abstract:
    Expression of bcl-w, a close relative of bcl-2 is essential for male fertility in mice. Although the initial wave of spermatogenesis in bcl-w -/- mice proceeds normally until 3-4 weeks of age, adults fail to produce sperm. To clarify why bcl-w is essential for adult but not juvenile spermatogenesis, we investigated the expression pattern of eight bcl-2 family members. We found that both the level and pattern of expression varied in different cell types during juvenile and adult spermatogenesis. Anti-apoptotic genes bcl-w, bcl-2 and bcl-xL were all expressed in spermatogonia during juvenile spermatogenesis, but only bcl-w was detected in spermatogonia of adult mice. A similar shift was evident in Sertoli cells. This developmental regulation may co-ordinate physiological germ cell apoptosis in wild type mice and account for the time of onset for pathological germ cell apoptosis in bcl-w -/- animals.
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