Abstract
In vitro incorporation of [1-14C] acetate into fatty acids and lipid classes of spermatocytes, round spermatids and condensing spermatids enriched by Staput 1×g sedimentation was measured by thin layer and gas radiochromatography. All three cell fractions showed the full range of de novo synthetase, elongation and desaturase activities necessary for biosynthesis of fatty acids characteristic of mouse testis, but synthesis of fatty acids of >16 carbons declined with progressive stages of differentiation. The magnitudes and patterns of distribution of fatty acid synthesis in the germinal cells were similar to those of whole testis incubated in vitro or injected in vivo with [14C] acetate. On the other hand, complex lipid synthesis was much more variable and incorporation into triacylglycerol was generally much lower in dispersed germinal cells than in whole testis in vitro or in vivo. Cells remained viable throughout the 15-hr incubation. Thus, isolated germinal cells are fully capable of synthesizing their constituent fatty acids, including the long-chain polyenoic acids which they accumulate, but the intratubular environment or association with Sertoli cells may be necessary for maintenance of adequate complex lipid synthesis.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- LCPA:
-
long-chain polyenoic acids
- 20∶4(n−6):
-
allcis-5,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoic (arachidonic) acid
- 22∶5(n−6):
-
allcis-4,7,10,13,16-docosapentaenoic acid
- 22∶6(n−3):
-
allcis-4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic acid
- PS:
-
primary spermatocytes
- RS:
-
round spermatids
- CS:
-
condensing spermatids
- RB:
-
residual bodies
- WS:
-
whole suspension
- WT:
-
whole testis
- RA:
-
radioactivity
References
Coniglio, J.G. (1977) in The Testis (Johnson, A.D., and Gomes, W.R., eds.) Vol. 4, pp. 425–449, Academic Press, New York, NY.
Beckman, J.K., Gray, M.E., and Coniglio, J.G. (1978) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 530, 367–374.
Beckman, J.K., and Coniglio, J.G. (1979) Lipids 14, 262–267.
Grogan, W.M., Farnham, W.F., and Szopiak, B.A. (1981) Lipids 16, 401–410.
Coniglio, J.G., Wharton, A.R., and Beckman, J.K. (1977) in Function and Biosynthesis of Lipids (Bazan, N.G., Brenner, R.R., and Giusto, N.M., eds.) pp. 575–589, Plenum, New York, NY.
Wharton, A.R., and Coniglio, J.G. (1977) J. Nutr. 107, 79–86.
Coniglio, J.G., Grogan, W.M., and Rhamy, R.K. (1977) J. Reprod. Fert. 51, 463–465.
Wharton, A.R., and Coniglio, J.G. (1975) Lipids 10, 783–789.
Beckman, J.K., and Coniglio, J.G. (1980) Lipids 15, 389–394.
Grogan, W.M., Farnham, W.F., and Sabau, J.M. (1981) J. Histochem. Cytochem. 29, 738–746.
Romrell, L.J., Bellve, A.R., and Fawcett, D.W. (1976) Dev. Biol. 49, 119–131.
Bridges, R.B., and Coniglio, J.G. (1970) Lipids 5, 628–635.
Evans, O.B., Jr., Zseltvay, R., Whorton, R., and Coniglio, J.G. (1971) Lipids 6, 706–711.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Grogan, W.M., Lam, J.W. Fatty acid synthesis in isolated spermatocytes and spermatids of mouse testis. Lipids 17, 605–611 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02535366
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02535366