| First Author | Sanzhaeva U | Year | 2024 |
| Journal | Sci Rep | Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 1 | Pages | 20889 |
| PubMed ID | 39244620 | Mgi Jnum | J:354352 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:7732734 | Doi | 10.1038/s41598-024-71303-8 |
| Citation | Sanzhaeva U, et al. (2024) TUBB4B is essential for the expansion of differentiating spermatogonia. Sci Rep 14(1):20889 |
| abstractText | Microtubules, polymers of alphabeta-tubulin heterodimers, are essential for various cellular processes. The incorporation of different tubulin isotypes, each encoded by distinct genes, is proposed to contribute to the functional diversity observed in microtubules. However, the functional roles of each tubulin isotype are not completely understood. In this study, we investigated the role of the beta4B-tubulin isotype (Tubb4b) in spermatogenesis, utilizing a Tubb4b knockout mouse model. We showed that beta4B-tubulin is expressed in the germ cells throughout spermatogenesis. beta4B-tubulin was localized to cytoplasmic microtubules, mitotic spindles, manchette, and axonemes of sperm flagella. We found that the absence of beta4B-tubulin resulted in male infertility and failure to produce sperm cells. Our findings demonstrate that a lack of beta4B-tubulin leads to defects in the initial stages of spermatogenesis. Specifically, beta4B-tubulin is needed for the expansion of differentiating spermatogonia, which is essential for the subsequent progression of spermatogenesis. |
