AUTHOR=Manfrevola Francesco , Martinez Guillaume , Coutton Charles , Rocco Domenico , Reynaud Karine , Le Vern Yves , Froment Pascal , Beauclair Linda , Aubert Denise , Pierantoni Riccardo , Chianese Rosanna , Guillou Florian TITLE=Ankrd31 in Sperm and Epididymal Integrity JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology VOLUME=9 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2021.741975 DOI=10.3389/fcell.2021.741975 ISSN=2296-634X ABSTRACT=
Ankyrin proteins (ANKRD) are key mediators linking membrane and sub-membranous cytoskeletal proteins. Recent findings have highlighted a new role of ANKRD31 during spermatogenesis, elucidating its involvement in meiotic recombination and male germ cell progression. Following testicular differentiation, spermatozoa (SPZ) enter into the epididymis, where they undergo several biochemical and enzymatic changes. The epididymal epithelium is characterized by cell-to-cell junctions that are able to form the blood-epididymal barrier (BEB). This intricate epithelial structure provides the optimal microenvironment needed for epididymal sperm maturation. To date, no notions have been reported regarding a putative role of ANKRD31 in correct BEB formation. In our work, we generated an