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Inhibin, activin, follistatin and FSH serum levels and testicular production are highly modulated during the first spermatogenic wave in mice

¹ Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, 27-31 Wright Street, Clayton, Melbourne VIC 3168, Australia² The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development, Australia

Correspondence should be addressed to K Loveland; Email: kate.loveland{at}med.monash.edu.au

Testicular development is governed by the combined influence of hormones and proteins, including FSH, inhibins, activins and follistatin (FST). This study documents the expression of these proteins and their corresponding mRNAs, in testes and serum from mice aged 0 through 91 days post partum (dpp), using real-time PCR, in situ hybridisation, immunohistochemistry, ELISA and RIA. Serum immunoactive total inhibin and FSH levels were negatively correlated during development, with FSH levels rising and inhibin levels falling. Activin A production changed significantly during development, with subunit mRNA and protein levels declining rapidly after 4 dpp, while simultaneously levels of the activin antagonists, FST and inhibin/activin β_C, increased. Inhibin/activin β_A and β_B subunit mRNAs were detected in Sertoli, germ and Leydig cells throughout testis development, with the β_A subunit also detected in peritubular myoid cells. The , β_A, β_B and β_C subunit proteins were detected in Sertoli and Leydig cells of developing and adult mouse testes. While β_A and β_B subunit proteins were observed in spermatogonia and spermatocytes in immature testes, β_C was localised to leptotene and zygotene spermatocytes in immature and adult testes. Nuclear β_A subunit protein was observed in primary spermatocytes and nuclear β_C subunit in gonocytes and round spermatids. The changing spatial and temporal distributions of inhibins and activins indicate that their modulated synthesis and action are important during onset of murine spermatogenesis. This study provides a foundation for evaluation of these proteins in mice with disturbed testicular development, enabling their role in normal and perturbed spermatogenesis to be more fully understood.

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