Identification and expression of GABAC receptor in rat testis and spermatozoa

  1. Shifeng Li†,
  2. Yunbin Zhang†,
  3. Haixiong Liu,
  4. Yuanchang Yan,
  5. Yiping Li*

Article first published online: 12 AUG 2008

DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-7270.2008.00453.x

Issue

Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica

Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica

Volume 40, Issue 8, pages 761–767, August 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Li, S., Zhang, Y., Liu, H., Yan, Y. and Li, Y. (2008), Identification and expression of GABAC receptor in rat testis and spermatozoa. Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica, 40: 761–767. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-7270.2008.00453.x

Author Information

  1. Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Andrology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China

  1. †

    These authors contributed equally to this work

* *Corresponding author: Tel, 86-21-54921395; Fax, 86-21-54921415; E-mail, yipingli@sibs.ac.cn

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 12 AUG 2008
  2. Article first published online: 12 AUG 2008
  3. Received: April 3, 2008 Accepted: May 4, 2008

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Keywords:

  • GABAC receptor;
  • γ-aminobutyric acid;
  • N(4)-chloroacetylcytosine arabinoside;
  • spermatozoa;
  • acrosome reaction

Our previous studies showed that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A and GABAB receptors are involved in rat sperm acrosome reaction induced by progesterone or GABA. Here, we report the presence of GABAC receptor in rat testis and spermatozoa. Full-length complementary DNA encoding the ρ1, ρ2 and ρ3 subunits of GABAC receptor were cloned from rat testis; their sequences are identical to those of rat GABAC receptor in retina. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that during the development of rat testis, the transcript levels of the ρ1 and ρ2 subunits showed little change, while the expression of ρ3 was gradually up-regulated. Immunofluorescence analysis using an anti-ρl antibody revealed that GABAC receptor exists on the elongated spermatid and sperm. Using a chlortetracycline assay, we found that N(4)-chloroacetylcytosine arabinoside, a GABAC receptor agonist, triggered rat sperm acrosome reaction; whereas (1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridin-4-yl) methylphosphinic acid, a GABAC receptor antagonist, inhibited the ability of N(4)-chloroacetylcytosine arabinoside to induce acrosome reaction. These results suggested that GABAC receptors are also involved in rat sperm acrosome reaction.

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