Apoptosis regulation in the testis: Involvement of Bcl-2 family members

Using immunohistochemical techniques and Western blot analysis, the possible role of Bcl‐2 family members Bax, Bcl‐2, Bcl‐xs, and Bcl‐xl in male germ cell density‐related apoptosis and DNA damage induced apoptosis was studied. The apoptosis inducer Bax was localized in all mouse and human testicular cell types, but despite the fact that irradiation induces its transcriptional activator, p53 in the human, Bax expression did not change after irradiation. The apoptosis inhibitor Bcl‐2 appeared to be present in late spermatocytes and spermatids and was up‐regulated in these cells after a dose of 4 Gy of X‐rays. Finally, Bcl‐x was expressed in both the mouse and human testis. The apoptosis inhibiting long transcripts of Bcl‐x, Bcl‐xl, were expressed in spermatogonia and spermatocytes and were up‐regulated after X‐irradiation. The apoptosis inducing shorter form of Bcl‐x, Bcl‐xs, was found to be expressed only in somatic cells, like peritubular and Leydig cells. While Bax is important in germ cell density regulation, Bax expression did not change after DNA damage inflicted by X‐radiation. Hence, spermatogonial apoptosis after X‐irradiation may not be induced via the apoptosis inducer Bax. Furthermore, as Bcl‐xl, but not Bcl‐2, is present in spermatogonia and spermatocytes, Bcl‐xl may regulate germ cell density, possibly in cooperation with Bax. As Bcl‐xl expression is enhanced after irradiation, this protein may also have a role in the response of spermatogonia and spermatocytes to irradiation. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 56:353–359, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.