細谷 修

Dynamin is a protein essential to endocytosis. Dynamin 2, a dynamin isoform, is expressed most intensely in testicular tissue; however, precise localization has never been studied. Therefore, we investigated the expression of dynamin 2 in rat testicular tissue using immunohistochemical methods, and discuss here the physiological function of this protein. Testicular tissues were obtained from Wistar rats at 10, 21 and 63 days of age. Immunohistochemistrical examination and Western blot analysis were conducted using dynamin 2 specific antibody. Western blot analysis showed that expression in 21- and 63-day-old rats was more intense than that in 10-day-old rats. Dynamin 2 expression was observed using immunohistochemical method in the seminiferous tubules of all rats. In the 63-day-old rats, the expression was intense, especially in spermatids in the earlier maturation stages and in spermatocytes, and was observed in Sertoli cells. However, in spermatids, the expression gradually declined as spermatids matured to spermatozoa. In the 21-day-old rats, the expression was evident in spermatocytes and Sertoli cells, but that in the 10-day-old rats was weak. Intense expression of dynamin 2 during spermatogenesis suggests that this protein plays an important role in this process.