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Updated: Jun 1, 2026
09:40
A Seminiferous Tubule Squash Technique for the Cytological Analysis of Spermatogenesis Using the Mouse Model
Published on: February 6, 2018
p125/Sec23-interacting protein (Sec23ip) is required for spermiogenesis
Nagisa Arimitsu1, Takeshi Kogure, Takashi Baba
1School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan.
FEBS Letters
|June 7, 2011
Summary
The protein p125 (also known as Sec23ip) is crucial for male fertility. Its absence in knockout mice led to subfertile males with sperm lacking essential fertilization enzymes due to acrosome defects.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Reproductive Biology
- Molecular Genetics
Background:
- Sec23ip (p125) is a phospholipase A(1)-like protein interacting with Sec23, a COPII vesicle coat component.
- COPII vesicles mediate transport from endoplasmic reticulum exit sites, crucial for cellular protein trafficking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the physiological role of Sec23ip (p125) in mammals.
- To investigate the impact of p125 deficiency on reproductive function.
Main Methods:
- Generation and analysis of p125 knockout mice.
- Assessment of male fertility and sperm morphology.
- Analysis of p125 expression during spermatogenesis.
Main Results:
- p125 knockout mice exhibited normal growth but male subfertility.
- Sperm from p125-deficient males displayed round heads and lacked the acrosome.
- p125 expression was detected throughout spermatogenesis stages I-XII.
Conclusions:
- p125 is essential for normal acrosome biogenesis during spermiogenesis.
- The findings highlight p125's critical role in male reproductive success.
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