Abstract
Restricted (H re/+) male rats marked by a coat color pattern have normal testes at birth. By 9 days postpartum, testes of the mutant animals are smaller than normal and by approximately 90 days of age the animals are sterile. The genetically sterile testes are totally devoid of spermatogonial cells, spermatocytes, spermatids, and spermatozoa, with only Sertoli cells remaining in the seminiferous tubules. Cyclic AMP concentrations in the whole testes (and the seminiferous tubules) of the mutant males are approximately 10–35% greater than in testes of control males when tested at intervals from 5 to 120 days of age. The possible role of excess cyclic AMP in reducing the rate of mitotic division of spermatogonial cells while enhancing differentiation of spermatogonial cells into spermatozoa is discussed. Such a change in the respective rates of mitotic and meiotic divisions would ultimately deplete the mutant testes of all spermatogonial cells.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Christensen, A. K., and Mason, N. R. (1965). Comparative ability of seminiferous tubules and interstitial cells to synthesize androgens. Endocrinology 76646.
Dorrington, J. H., and Fritz, I. B. (1974). Effects of gonadotropins on cyclic AMP production by isolated seminiferous tubule and interstitial cell preparations. Endocrinology 94395.
Ebadi, M. S., Weiss, B., and Costa, E. (1971). Microassay of adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) in brain and other tissues by the luciferin-luciferase system. J. Neurochem. 18183.
Goldberg, N. D., Larner, J., Sasko, H., and O'Toole, A. G. (1969). Enzymatic analysis of 3′, 5′ AMP in mammalian tissues and urine. Anal. Biochem. 28523.
Gumbreck, L. G., Stanley, A. J., Macy, R. M., and Peeples, E. E. (1971). Pleiotropic expression of the Restricted coat-color gene in the Norway rat. J. Hered. 62356.
Gumbreck, L. G., Stanley, A. J., Allison, J. E., and Easley, R. B. (1972). Restriction of color in the rat with associated sterility in the male and heterochromia in both sexes. J. Exptl. Zool. 180333.
Hilz, H., and Tarnowski, W. (1970). Opposite effects of cyclic AMP and its dibutyryl derivative on glycogen levels in Hela cells. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 40973.
Hollinger, M. A., and Hwang, F. (1974). Effect of dibutyryl cyclic AMP on in vitro rat testis DNA, RNA and protein labeling. Endocrinology 94444.
Hsie, A. W., and Puck, T. T. (1971). Morphological transformations of Chinese hamster cells by dibutyryl adenosine cyclic-3′:5′-monophosphate and testosterone. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 68358.
Johnson, G. S., Friedman, R. M., and Pastan, I. (1971). Restoration of several morphological characteristics of normal fibroblasts in sarcoma cells treated with adenosine-3′:5′-cyclic monophosphate and its derivatives. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 68425.
Konijn, T. M., Van Demeene, J. G. C., Bonner, J. T., and Barkley, D. S. (1967). The acrasin activity of adenosine-3′:5′-cyclic phosphate. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 581152.
Lowry, O. H., Rosebrough, N. J., Farr, A. L., and Randall, R. J. (1951). Protein measurement with the Folin phenol method. J. Biol. Chem. 193265.
McCullock, E. A., Simnovitch, E. A. L., and Till, J. E. (1964). Spleen colony formation in anemic mice of genotype WW. Science 144844.
McCullock, E. A., Simnovitch, E. A. L., Till, J. E., Russell, E. S., and Bernstein, S. E. (1965). The cellular basis of the genetically determined hemopoietic defect in anemic mice of genotype Sl/Sl d.Blood 26399.
Musto, N. A., Santen, R. J., and Bardin, C. W. (1973). A rat model for adult onset idiopathic seminiferous tubular failure. Proc. Soc. Stud. Reprod. 618.
Otten, J., Johnson, G. S., and Pastan, I. (1972). Regulation of cell growth by cyclic 3′,5′-monophosphate. J. Biol. Chem. 2477082.
Palmer, M. L., Allison, J. E., Peeples, E. E., and Whaley, G. D. (1974). The gene for coat color restriction in rats: Its effect in homozygous condition. J. Hered. (in press).
Peeples, E. E., Geisler, A., Whitcraft, C. J., and Oliver, C. P. (1969). Activity of phenol oxidases at the puparium formation stage in development of nineteen lozenge mutants of Drosophila melanogaster. Biochem. Genet. 3563.
Steiner, A. L., Parker, C. W., and Kipnis, D. M. (1970). The measurement of cyclic nucleotides by radioimmunoassay. In Greengard, P., and Costa, E. (eds.), Role of Cyclic AMP in Cell Function, Raven Press, New York.
Voorhees, J. J., Duell, E. A., and Kelsey, W. H. (1972). Decreased cyclic AMP in the epidermis of lesions of psoriasis. Arch. Dermatol. 105384.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by PHS research grant HD08622-01.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Peeples, E.E., Ireland, P.H. Cyclic AMP and genetic sterility of a male restricted (H re/+) mutant of Rattus . Biochem Genet 12, 367–373 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00486641
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00486641