GSK3β IS INVOLVED IN THE SPERMATOGENESIS OF THE CHINESE MITTEN CRAB ERIOCHEIR SINENSIS H. MILNE EDWARDS, 1853

Glycogen synthase kinase3 beta (GSK3 beta) is a Serine/Threonine kinase involved in metabolic reactions, and the Wnt, Akt, Hedgehog and BMP/Smad1 signalling pathways. It regulates cell metabolism, the cell cycle and cell fate through the phosphorylation of a diverse array of substrates. Its disorders lead to testicular degeneration, testicular cord disruption and many other reproductive diseases that often lead to infertility. In mammals, GSK3 beta plays an important role in the regulation of spermatogenesis. To explore functions of GSK3 beta during spermatogenesis in Eriocheir sinensis we cloned the full-length GSK3 beta cDNA sequence from the testis of E. sinensis (EsGSK3 beta). The 1161-nucleotide open reading frame encodes a 386-amino-acid protein with a predicted molecular mass of 43 kDa. Additionally, we examined the expression pattern of EsGSK3 beta in different tissues and testis developmental stages using real-time PCR and Western blotting. Localization analysis of EsGSK3 beta RNA and protein by in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence, respectively, showed that molecules translocated from the cytoplasm and nucleus to the regions of the acrosomal tubule and apical cap during spermatogenesis. The results indicated that EsGSK3 beta might play an important role during E. sinensis spermatogenesis.