• PMID: 16259065
• Gene Name: mucin13
• Condition: Spermatogenesis, Azoospermia
• Association: This study is the first that has detected the mRNA of mucin9 and 13 in human testis. This study also shows that mucin1 expression might be closely related to spermatogenesis.The findings should be substantiated by more direct evidence, such as mucin prote
• Population size: 30
• Population details: 30 (13 normal spermatogenesis, 17 impaired spermatogenesis)
• Sex: Male
• Infertility type: Male infertility
• Associated genes: mucin1, mucin9 and mucin13
• Other associated phenotypes: Spermatogenesis, Azoospermia

Expression of mucin genes in the human testis and its relationship to spermatogenesis

Seo JT, Lee JS, Jun JH, Yang MH.

In this study we investigate the expression pattern of mucin genes in the human testis and evaluate the relationship between the expression of mucin genes and impaired spermatogenesis in the human testis. Thirty human testis tissues were collected from patients undergoing diagnostic testicular biopsy to investigate the cause of infertility. One part of the tissue underwent histological observation, and the other part of the tissue was subjected to semiquantitative RT-PCR of mucin genes, that is, mucin1, 2, 3, 4, and 9. The relative amount of mucin mRNAs was calculated by densitometry using glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) as an internal control. The samples were histologically diagnosed as either obstructive azoospermia with normal spermatogenesis (n = 13) or non-obstructive azoospermia with impaired spermatogenesis (n = 17). In the human testis with normal spermatogenesis, mRNA expression of mucin1, 9, 13 and GAPDH were found, but RT-PCR products of mucin 2, 3 and 4 were not detected. In the testis with impaired spermatogenesis, however, RT-PCR product of mucin1 was not found. There was no difference in the other mucin mRNA expression patterns between the testis with either normal or impaired spermatogenesis. To our knowledge, this study is the first that has detected the mRNA of mucin9 and 13 in human testis. This study also shows that mucin1 expression might be closely related to spermatogenesis. Our findings should be substantiated by more direct evidence, such as mucin protein expression and localization. FAU - Seo, Ju Tae AU - Seo JT AD - Department of Urology, Samsung Cheil Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 1-19 Mukjeong- dong, Jung-gu, Seoul 100-380, Korea. jtand.seo@samsung.com FAU - Lee, Joong Shik AU - Lee JS FAU - Jun, Jin Hyun AU - Jun JH