Sperm Protein 17 Is Expressed in Human Somatic Ciliated Epithelia

It was once believed that sperm protein 17 (Sp17) was expressed exclusively in the testis and that its sole function was to bind to the oocyte during fertilization. However, immunohistochemistry of the human respiratory airways and reproductive systems show that it is abundant in ciliated cells but...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry 2004-04, Vol.52 (4), p.549-554
Main Authors: Grizzi, Fabio, Chiriva-Internati, Maurizio, Franceschini, Barbara, Bumm, Klaus, Colombo, Piergiuseppe, Ciccarelli, Michele, Donetti, Elena, Gagliano, Nicoletta, Hermonat, Paul L, Bright, Robert K, Gioia, Magda, Dioguardi, Nicola, Kast, W. Martin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antigens, Surface
Carrier Proteins - biosynthesis
Cilia - metabolism
Duodenum - metabolism
Duodenum - ultrastructure
Fallopian Tubes - metabolism
Fallopian Tubes - ultrastructure
Female
Humans
Kidney - metabolism
Kidney - ultrastructure
Larynx - metabolism
Larynx - ultrastructure
Lung - metabolism
Lung - ultrastructure
Male
Microvilli - metabolism
Organ Specificity
Testis - metabolism
Testis - ultrastructure
Trachea - metabolism
Trachea - ultrastructure
Vas Deferens - metabolism
Vas Deferens - ultrastructure
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Description
Summary:It was once believed that sperm protein 17 (Sp17) was expressed exclusively in the testis and that its sole function was to bind to the oocyte during fertilization. However, immunohistochemistry of the human respiratory airways and reproductive systems show that it is abundant in ciliated cells but not in human cells with stereocilia and microvilli. The high degree of sequence conservation throughout its N-terminal half, and the presence of an A-kinase anchoring protein (AKAP)-binding motif within this region, suggest that Sp17 plays a regulatory role in a PKA-independent AKAP complex in both male germinal and ciliated somatic cells.
ISSN:0022-1554
1551-5044
DOI:10.1177/002215540405200414