Purpose: Three cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) proteins, CCM1, CCM2, and CCM3, regulate cell-cell adhesion, cell shape and polarity, and most likely cell adhesion to extracellular matrix. Recently, CCM2 and CCM3 are known to be expressed in control and varicocele-induced rat testes, but little is known about these proteins during gonadogenesis. This led us to study the CCM proteins during the mouse gonadogenesis.
Methods: Neonatal (PND 0), postnatal, and adult mice testes and ovaries were obtained from mice. CCM2 and CCM3 expression were analyzed during mouse testicular and ovarian development by immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time PCR.
Results: The results showed that in both sexes, Ccm2 and Ccm3 mRNA and protein were first detectable after gonadogenesis when the gonads were well differentiated and remained present until the adult stage. In the testis, CCM2 and CCM3 expression were restricted to the nuclei of Sertoli cells, suggesting a conserved role in testicular differentiation. In the ovary, the CCM2 and CCM3 proteins were localized in the cytoplasm of oocytes, suggesting an unexpected role during oogenesis. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) results showed that expression of Ccm2 and Ccm3 genes could play a role in the regulation of mouse gonadogenesis translational activation upon testicular and ovarian development.
Conclusions: The localization of CCM2 and CCM3 proteins show their different functions for CCM2 and CCM3 which may have important roles in testicular and ovarian differentiation. In conclusion, CCM2 and CCM3 may be involved in establishing the differential expression pattern in developing mouse testis and ovary.
Keywords: CCM2; CCM3; Gonadogenesis; Mouse.