Discrete cell- and stage-specific localisation of fibroblast growth factors and receptor expression during testis development

• DOI: 10.1677/joe.0.1640149
• Publication Date: 2004-12-02T23:42:13Z
• Authors: B Cancilla; A Davies; M Ford-Perriss; GP Risbridger
• Keywords: Fibroblast Growth Factors; Male; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; 0301 basic medicine; Blotting, Southern; 03 medical and health sciences; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Testis; Animals; Immunohistochemistry; Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor; Rats

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are a family of heparin binding proteins involved in many biological processes. These act through tyrosine kinase receptors (FGFRs); we have previously used immunohistochemistry to study FGFRs-1-4 foetal, immature and adult rat testes, found discrete cell- stage-specific localisation. Alternative mRNA splicing FGFRs-1-3 leads functional variants (IIIb IIIc) with distinct ligand affinities, therefore identified the specific expression FGFR localisation FGF ligands testes from rats. Using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), that mRNAs for FGFR-1 IIIb IIIc, FGFR-2 FGFR-3 IIIc FGFR-4 were expressed testes. Ligands FGFs-1-5, -8, which can signal these receptors, also at each age. Localisation FGFs-1, -3 -4 by showed altered during testis development. This has shown capacity appropriate co-localised or adjacent cell types testis. Collectively, profiles seven FGFs-1-5 -8 suggest importance testicular development spermatogenesis. It is concluded that, future studies on role other ligands, particular FGFs-1-4, warranted.