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Journal of Animal Science and Technology
Korean Society of Animal Science and Technology

J Anim Sci Technol

pISSN: 2672-0191, eISSN: 2055-0391

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5187/jast.2024.e52

Article

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase-2 in Stallion Testes: Insights into Seasonal Changes and Potential Roles in Spermatogenesis

Muhammad Shakeel1,2, Minjung Yoon1,3,4,*
1Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Sangju 37224, Korea.
2Department of Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pir Mehr Ali Shah, Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi 44000, Pakistan.
3Department of Horse, Companion and Wild Animal Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju 37224, Korea.
4Research Institute for Innovative Animal Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju 37224, Korea.
*Corresponding Author: Minjung Yoon, Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Sangju 37224, Korea, Republic of. Department of Horse, Companion and Wild Animal Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju 37224, Korea, Republic of. Research Institute for Innovative Animal Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju 37224, Korea, Republic of. Phone: +8201052859850. E-mail: mjyoonemail@gmail.com.

© Copyright 2024 Korean Society of Animal Science and Technology. This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Received: Dec 20, 2023; Revised: Apr 15, 2024; Accepted: May 07, 2024

Published Online: May 07, 2024

Abstract

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase-2 (NTRK2) have known important roles in the central nervous system for neurite growth, survival, and differentiation. Nevertheless, the significance of BDNF in spermatogenesis remains unclear in stallions. Therefore, the present study was designed 1) to investigate the expression of BDNF and its receptor NTRK2 and 2) the seasonal variation in the expression patterns of BDNF and NTRK2 in stallions’ testes. We used testes from eight postpubertal Thoroughbred stallions collected after a field castration during two different seasons of the year [breeding season (BS) and nonbreeding season (NBS)]. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), Western blotting (WB), and immunofluorescence were performed. RT-qPCR results showed upregulation of mRNA levels of BDNF and NTRK2 in the testes collected during the NBS. The quantification of the protein bands obtained after WB displayed significantly higher relative intensity in NBS. The immunofluorescence assay identified the localization of BDNF in the cytoplasm of Sertoli and Leydig cells in BS. The cytoplasm of germs cells and Leydig cells were stained with BDNF in NBS. NTRK2 was observed in the cytoplasm of Leydig cells of BS and NBS. Moreover, different stages of germ cells including undifferentiated spermatogonia and spermatocytes were immune labeled with NTRK2 in the NBS. These findings provided the first evidence of the localization of BDNF and NTRK2 in the testicular cells of stallions, suggesting the potential role of BDNF signaling in testes development and spermatogenesis. Further investigation is necessary to explore the functional implications of BDNF signaling on spermatogenesis, focusing on the regulatory mechanisms that govern the seasonal expression patterns observed. This will help confirm the paracrine/autocrine importance of this neurotrophin in the stallions testes.

Keywords: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase-2; Spermatogenesis; Sertoli cells; Leydig cells; Season