Huntingtin interacting protein-1 (HIP1) is an endocytic protein that associates with clathrin on coated vesicles, but it also binds directly to actin and microtubules. Close histological examination of the testis of HIP1-/- mice from 7-30 wks of age revealed that HIP1-deficiency was particularly detrimental to spermatids. The testis showed a significant decrease in the diameter of seminiferous tubules, a reduction in the number of late spermatids and the sloughing of germ cells, which were evident as round cells in the epididymal lumen. Major abnormalities in spermatids included structural deformations of heads, bent flagella, the presence of proacrosomic vesicles with the complete or partial absence of an acrosome or its detachment from the nucleus, and retention of the cytoplasm enveloping the spermatid head. Abnormalities with respect to the association of elongating spermatids with ectoplasmic specializations of Sertoli cells were noted as well. Sperm counts and sperm motility parameters were significantly decreased in HIP1-/- mice compared to their wild-type littermates and these differences accounted for reduced fertility levels noted in HIP1-/- mice. / Taken together, differences in sperm counts, morphology and their motility parameters suggest a functional role for HIP1 in relation to actin and microtubules during sperm development in the testis.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.84045 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Khatchadourian, Karine |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 002263184, proquestno: AAIMR22737, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
Page generated in 0.0118 seconds