A role of lysophosphatidic acid signaling in male organ

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26440043
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Functional biochemistry
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Asuka Inoue 東北大学, 薬学研究科, 准教授 (50525813)
• Research Collaborator: KANO Kuniyuki 東北大学, 大学院薬学研究科, 助教
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: リゾホスファチジン酸 / Lysosphatidic acid (LPA) / 雄性生殖器

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Lysophoshatidic acid (LPA) is a lipid mediator and regulates various cellular responses via acting on LPA-specific G protein-coupled receptors (LPA1-6). We have previously found that mice deficient for PA-PLA1β, an LPA-producing enzyme, show abnormal structures in male organs including testes and vesicular glands. In this study, we aimed at identifying a LPA receptor that is involved in the PA-PLA1β-LPA axis in the male organogenesis. We also examined defects at a cellular level in the LPA-regulated male organs. We identified approximately a half of LPA6-deficient mice has smaller testes. We also found that mRNA for LPA6 is localized to the spermatogonium, Sertoli cells and Leydig cells in juvenile mice and that the expression decreases as mice become aged. Since the phenotype of PA-PLA1β-deficient mice and LPA6-deficient mice is different from a reported triple LPA1-3-deficient mice, LPA signal has at least two distinct roles in development of male organs.

Free Research Field

脂質生物学