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Molecular Human Reproduction, Vol. 9, No. 8, 449-455, August 2003
© 2003 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

Article

Expression of fractalkine in the rat testis: molecular cloning of a novel alternative transcript of its gene that is differentially regulated by pro-inflammatory cytokines

Submitted on September 13, 2002; resubmitted on January 30, 2003. accepted on April 14, 2003

Cécile Habasque, Anne-Pascale Satie, Florence Aubry, Bernard Jégou and Michel Samson1

INSERM U. 435-GERM, Université de Rennes I, Campus de Beaulieu, 35042 Rennes cedex, Bretagne, France

1 To whom correspondence should be addressed. e-mail: michel.samson{at}rennes.inserm.fr

The testis is a very complex organ in which cellular communications and interactions are central to spermatogenesis and where inflammatory processes can lead to sterility. Fractalkine (CX3CL1) is a chemokine involved in cell–cell interactions and in leukocyte chemoattraction. It has been reported to be expressed in testis, but its cellular expression and function in this organ has not been described. In this study we report constitutive expression of fractalkine in the testis. Expression is higher in Leydig cells than Sertoli cells, spermatogonia, pachytene spermatocytes and elongated spermatids. In both, Sertoli cells stimulated by interleukin-1ß and tumour necrosis factor {alpha}, and in Leydig cells, two forms of fractalkine mRNA were observed: the previously described transcript of 3.7 kb and a novel transcript of 4.2 kb. The 4.2 kb transcript has a 5' elongation and is differentially regulated. To investigate fractalkine function in testis, we abolished Leydig cell expression of fractalkine by specific destruction of this cell type using ethylene dimethane sulphonate. The absence of fractalkine expression in Leydig cells did not seem to affect the fractalkine expression by other testicular cells. In addition, the destruction of testicular macrophages by Cl2MDP (chlodronate) did not seem to affect Leydig cell expression of fractalkine. We conclude that Leydig cell expression of fractalkine could be preferentially involved in inflammation in interstitial space whereas fractalkine expressed by germ cells may participate in the cellular interactions between germ cells and other seminiferous tubule cell types.

Key words: chemokine/CX3CL1/fractalkine/testis


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