Androgen binding protein is tissue-specifically expressed and biologically active in transgenic mice

In view of the inconclusive data concerning the role of androgen-binding protein (ABP) in male reproductive physiology, we thought it would be pertinent to make several transgenic mouse lines overexpressing the rat ABP gene to unravel its role in Sertoli cell and epididymal homeostasis. Heterozygote transgenic mouse lines carrying the 5.5 kb ABP rat genomic DNA were produced by pronuclear microinjection. Northern blot analysis showed overexpression of rat ABP (rABP) mRNA in the testis of transgenic mice compared to rat testis control. rABP was appropriately expressed in Sertoli cells as demonstrated by in situ hybridization analysis. Sertoli cell number is increased in the seminiferous tubules of mice overexpressing rABP compared to non-transgenic littermates and scattered Sertoli cells present vacuolated-like cytoplasms, PAS and osmium negative. Compared to the wild type, the transgenic mice exhibited reduced fertility and focal damage in seminiferous epithelium characterized by morphological features compatible with programmed cell death.