Expression and localisation of ephrin-B1, EphB2, and EphB4 in the mouse testis during postnatal development

The erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular receptor B (EphB) class and ephrin-B ligand have been implicated in boundary formation in various epithelia. We recently found that ephrin-B1 and EphB2/EphB4 exhibit complementary expression in the epithelia along the excurrent duct system in the adult mouse testis. Moreover, the organisation and integrity of the duct system is indispensable for the transport of spermatozoa. Here, we examined ephrin-B1, EphB2 and EphB4 expression in the mouse testis during postnatal development. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the relative expression levels of these molecules decreased with age in early postnatal development, and were similar to those of adults by four weeks of age. Furthermore, immunostaining revealed that the excurrent duct system compartments exhibiting complementary expression of ephrin-B1 and EphB2/EphB4 were formed by two weeks of age. Meanwhile, ephrin-B1 and EphB4 were effective markers for spermatogonia in the neonatal testis due to their negative expression in gonocytes. Alternatively, EphB2 was a suitable marker for assessing completion of the first wave of spermatogenesis in puberty, due to its strong expression in the elongated spermatids of seminiferous tubules. Lastly, ephrin-B1 and EphB4 proved to be markers of both foetal and adult Leydig cells during postnatal development, as they were expressed in CYP17A1-positive cells. This study is the first to investigate the expression of ephrin-B1, EphB2, and EphB4 in normal mouse testes during postnatal development. The expression patterns of ephrin-B and EphBs may represent suitable tools for examining organisation of the excurrent duct system and monitoring reproductive toxicity during postnatal development.