Metallothionein mRNA in the testis and prostate of the rat detected by digoxigenin-labeled riboprobe |
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| Authors: | C Tohyama J S Suzuki N Nishimura H Nishimura M Karasawa |
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| Institution: | (1) Environmental Health Sciences Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, 305 Ibaraki, Japan;(2) Department of Hygiene, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute-cho, 480-11, Japan;(3) Dept. of Biology, Kyoritsu College of Pharmacy, Shiba-koen, Minato-ku, 105 Tokyo, Japan;(4) Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Shirokane-dai, Minato-ku, 108 Tokyo, Japan;(5) Present address: Animal Prouction Division, CSIRO, Prospect, NSW, Australia;(6) Present address: Institute of Genetics and Toxicology, Karlsruhe, Germany;(7) Present address: School of Human Sciences, Aichi Mizuho University, Toyota-shi, Aichi, Japan |
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| Abstract: | Metallothionein (MT), a cysteine-rich heavy metal-binding protein, has been considered to play a role in the homeostatic control and detoxification of heavy metals, such as zinc, copper, and cadmium. In the present study, we have utilized a digoxigenin-labeled riboprobe to localize MT mRNA only by bright-field optics in the testis and prostate of the rat. In the rat testis, MT mRNA was found predominantly in primary spermatocytes and also in secondary spermatocytes and spermatids, but not in the spermatogonia, Sertoli cells, and Leydig cells. On the other hand, MT protein was present in these spermatogenic cells as well as in spermatozoa and Sertoli cells. In the prostate, MT mRNA was found predominantly in the epithelium of the dorsolateral lobes, but not in the ventral lobe, which is in agreement with the observed localization of MT protein. The utilization of both in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical staining on the same tissue specimens show MT gene expression in specific cell types in the male genital organs. |
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