This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Stabile, V. Articles by Chieffi, P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Stabile, V. Articles by Chieffi, P.

17ß-Estradiol induces Akt-1 through estrogen receptor-ß in the frog (Rana esculenta) male germ cells

Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, II Università di Napoli, Via Costantinopoli, 16, 80138 Napoli, Naples, Italy and ¹ Dipartimento di Scienze Biomorfologiche e Funzionali, Università di Napoli ‘Federico II’, Via Pansini, 5 80131, Napoli, Naples, Italy

Correspondence should be addressed to P Chieffi; Email: paolo.chieffi{at}unina2.it

Several lines of evidence support the key role of estrogens in male fertility. Here, we investigate the regulation of the serine/threonine kinase Akt-1 in the frog (Rana esculenta) testis during the annual sexual cycle and, whether 17ß-estradiol (E₂) exerts a role in the Akt-1 activity. Akt-1 has been shown to be the mediator of growth factor-dependent cell proliferation, survival, and metabolism in a variety of cell types.

First, we demonstrate by immunohistochemistry, the presence of estrogen receptor-ß (ERß), and Akt-1 in the spermatogonia (SPG), spermatocytes (SPC), and spermatids (SPT). Western-blot analysis revealed that ERß isoform (molecular weight 55 kDa) was highly expressed in May (reproductive period) with respect to January and November (winter stasis); in parallel, Akt-1 (molecular weight 60 kDa) is highly phosphorylated (Ser-473) during the period of active spermatogenesis (May) compared with the winter stasis (January and November). In addition, in vitro experiments demonstrate that E₂ treatment induces the activation of Akt-1, and this effect is counteracted by the anti-estrogen ICI 182–780. In conclusion, our data show that E₂ induces Akt-1 phosphorylation (Ser-473) possibly via ERß in frog (R. esculenta) male germ cells.