Abnormal functions of Leydig cells in crossbred cattle-yak showing infertility

In Mongolia, yak (Bos grunniens) are able to live in alpine areas and their products greatly influence the lives of the local people. Increased vigour in hybridized yak and cattle can offer benefits for livestock farmers. However, male hybrids show reproductive defects resulting from spermatogenesis arrest, affecting the conservation and maintenance of dominant traits in the next generation. The underlying mechanisms involved in hybrid cattle-yak infertility have recently been investigated; however, the genetic cause is still unclear. Androgens and androgen receptor (AR) signalling are required for spermatogenesis. We, therefore, evaluated the expression of AR, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3βHSD) and 5α-reductase 2 (SRD5A2) in Leydig cells to investigate their function in cattle-yak spermatogenesis. Testicular tissues from yaks (1-3 years old) and hybrids (F1-F3, 2 years old) were collected and subjected to immunohistochemistry and image analyses to investigate the expression of each parameter in the Leydig cells. After maturation at 2 years, the expression levels of AR increased and the levels of 3βHSD decreased, but the SRD5A2 levels remained constant in yak. However, the cattle-yak hybrid F2 showed immature testicular development and significantly different expression levels of AR and 3βHSD compared with mature yak. These results suggest that the decreased expression of AR and increased expression of 3βHSD in the Leydig cells of cattle-yak hybrid testes may represent one of the causes of infertility. Our study might help in solving the problem of infertility in crossbreeding.