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Molecular and Cellular Biology, April 2000, p. 2865-2873, Vol. 20, No. 8
Departments of
Microbiology,1
Pathology,2 Anatomy and Cell
Biology,3 and
Urology4 and Center for
Reproductive Sciences,5 Columbia University
College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10032
Received 12 July 1999/Returned for modification 1 September
1999/Accepted 31 December 1999
Nectin-2 is a cell adhesion molecule encoded by a member of the
poliovirus receptor gene family. This family consists of human, monkey,
rat, and murine genes that are members of the immunoglobulin gene
superfamily. Nectin-2 is a component of cell-cell adherens junctions
and interacts with l-afadin, an F-actin-binding protein. Disruption of
both alleles of the murine nectin-2 gene resulted in
morphologically aberrant spermatozoa with defects in nuclear and
cytoskeletal morphology and mitochondrial localization. Homozygous null males are sterile, while homozygous
null females, as well as heterozygous males and females, are fertile.
The production by nectin-2
0270-7306/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Defects in Nuclear and Cytoskeletal Morphology and Mitochondrial
Localization in Spermatozoa of Mice Lacking Nectin-2, a Component
of Cell-Cell Adherens Junctions
/
mice of normal numbers of spermatozoa containing wild-type levels of
DNA suggests that Nectin-2 functions at a late stage of
germ cell development. Consistent with such a role, Nectin-2 is
expressed in the testes only during the later stages of
spermatogenesis. The structural defects observed in spermatozoa of
nectin-2
/
mice suggest a role for this
protein in organization and reorganization of the cytoskeleton during spermiogenesis.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Microbiology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 701 W. 168th St., New York, NY 10032. Phone: (212) 305-5707. Fax: (212)
305-5106. E-mail: vrr1{at}columbia.edu.
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