The P-type ATPase superfamily genes are the cation and phospholipid pumps that transport ions across the membranes by hydrolyzing ATP. They are involved in a diverse range of functions, including fundamental cellular events that occur during the growth of plants, especially in the reproductive organs. The present work has been undertaken to understand and characterize the P-type ATPases in the pigeonpea genome and their potential role in anther development and pollen fertility. A total of 59 P-type ATPases were predicted in the pigeonpea genome. The phylogenetic analysis classified the ATPases into five subfamilies: eleven P1B, eighteen P2A/B, fourteen P3A, fifteen P4, and one P5. Twenty-three pairs of P-type ATPases were tandemly duplicated, resulting in their expansion in the pigeonpea genome during evolution. The orthologs of the reported anther development-related genes were searched in the pigeonpea genome, and the expression profiling studies of specific genes via qRT-PCR in the pre- and post-meiotic anther stages of AKCMS11A (male sterile), AKCMS11B (maintainer) and AKPR303 (fertility restorer) lines of pigeonpea was done. Compared to the restorer and maintainer lines, the down-regulation of CcP-typeATPase22 in the post-meiotic anthers of the male sterile line might have played a role in pollen sterility. Furthermore, the strong expression of CcP-typeATPase2 in the post-meiotic anthers of restorer line and CcP-typeATPase46, CcP-typeATPase51, and CcP-typeATPase52 in the maintainer lines, respectively, compared to the male sterile line, clearly indicates their potential role in developing male reproductive organs in pigeonpea.

D-Glutamate, a novel d-amino acid found in animal tissues, exclusively exists in the male reproductive tissues of the kuruma prawn, Marsupenaeus japonicus. Herein, changes in the d-glutamate content were determined in the male reproductive tissues of M. japonicus during acclimation to breeding seawater temperatures of 18-22°C and unilateral eyestalk ablation. The d-glutamate content in the testis increased with increasing seawater temperature and with unilateral eyestalk ablation. This suggests that both stimulations induced d-glutamate synthesis in the testis. Although the d-alanine content in the testis increased after unilateral eyestalk ablation, it did not change with elevated seawater temperature. Furthermore, we determined the d-glutamate distribution in the M. japonicus spermatophore. This indicates that d-glutamate is crucial in prawn fertilization.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), an adverse effect after bone marrow transplantation (BMT), may affect male reproductive function. It is hypothesized that a sex-mismatched BMT induces GVHD in male reproductive organs because female immune cells are not immunologically tolerant to specific antigens of the male organs. However, this hypothesis has not been experimentally verified using male (M) recipient animals following BMT from the female (F) donors. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to examine whether the female BMT to males (F→M group) induces some GVHD reactions in the testis and the other male reproductive organs. The results showed that no inflammation was found in recipients of the male BMT to males (M→M group), whereas significant inflammatory cell responses lasting for at least 4 months were induced in testis, epididymis, prostate and preputial gland in some mice of F→M group. The most severe lesion was found in the preputial gland, in which lymphocytic inflammation was accompanied by loss of glandular acini, thickening of the interstitum and increased cytokines such as TNF-α and IFN-γ. Western blot analyses revealed that sera from the F→M group reacted with various antigens of the male reproductive organs. These results indicate that transplanted female immune cells may recognize the male reproductive organs as immunologically foreign ones and induce chronic GVHD, which may affect male reproductive function.

Some aquatic invertebrates contain free d-alanine. We previously showed copious amounts of free d-glutamate, a novel d-amino acid, in the tissue of the male reproductive organs of Marsupenaeus japonicus. Herein, we clarified the distribution and potential role of d-glutamate and d-alanine in male reproductive tissues, namely the testis, vas deferens and seminal receptacle at different growth stages of M. japonicus. The percentage of d-glutamate to total glutamate was over 50% in these tissues. In particular, the content of d-glutamate was the most abundant in the vas deferens, the ratio of d-glutamate to total glutamate was approximately 80%. In contrast, d-alanine content was the lowest in the vas deferens among these tissues. d-Glutamate content was the highest when the prawn weighed 12 g, indicating that d-glutamate is actively synthesized in the younger stage. Our findings suggest that d-glutamate plays an important role in the reproductive functions of M. japonicus.

This article examines the environmental factor-induced oxidative stress (OS) and their effects on male reproductive and sexual health. There are several factors that induce OS, i.e. radition, metal contamination, xenobiotic compounds, and cigarette smoke and lead to cause toxicity in the cells through metabolic or bioenergetic processes. These environmental factors may produce free radicals and enhance the reactive oxygen species (ROS). Free radicals are molecules that include oxygen and disbalance the amount of electrons that can create major chemical chains in the body and cause oxidation. Oxidative damage to cells may impair male fertility and lead to abnormal embryonic development. Moreover, it does not only cause a vast number of health issues such as ageing, cancer, atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and neurodegenerative disorders but also decreases the motility of spermatozoa while increasing sperm DNA damage, impairing sperm mitochondrial membrane lipids and protein kinases. This chapter mainly focuses on the environmental stressors with further discussion on the mechanisms causing congenital impairments due to poor sexual health and transmitting altered signal transduction pathways in male gonadal tissues.

In insects, a long ductus ejaculatorius surrounded by a muscular sheath transfers seminal fluids and sperms from the testes into the male copulatory organ, the aedeagus. In several unrelated coleopteran families, a section of the ductus has evolved to form a specialized pumping organ. The most complex forms of this \"sperm pump\" was known in Lepiceridae and two subfamilies of evolutionary distant Staphylinidae; in these groups two sclerotized funnels situated on ends of the sperm pump provide attachment sites for a remarkably robust compressor muscle. A sperm pump with two funnels and a previously unknown spiral ridge, representing the most complex sperm pumping apparatus among Coleoptera, is for the first time reported to occur in the superfamily Cucujoidea, family Monotomidae. The compressor muscle is particularly large, and the pump shows features more advanced than those in any other beetle. Not the entire section between funnels is compressed, but only a pair of specialized thin-walled, unsclerotized and resilin-rich regions within the pump. The spiral ridge stores mechanical energy to decompress the pump when the muscle relaxes, and provides a sclerotized scaffold for the entire structure. The pumps do not occur in all Monotomidae, but seem to be restricted to the subfamily Monotominae. Two distinct forms were found, each in a different tribe (with one notable exception; Mimemodes having a sperm pump typical of Monotomini, not Europini). Moreover, the shapes of the pumps were found to be species-specific. The phylogenetic value of this structure is discussed, as sperm pumps may help defining monophyletic lineages within this poorly studied family. An evolutionary scenario for a development of sperm pumps in Coleoptera from an undifferentiated ductus ejaculatorius to the most complex \"monotomid form\" is proposed, assuming several distinct stages exemplified by structures found in other beetle families.

A wide spectrum of pathologies, ranging from inconsequential degenerative and senile changes to clinically significant neoplasms, can affect seminal vesicles (SVs). With rapid rise in use of magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of prostate in recent years an increasing number of cases of incidental SV pathologies are encountered by radiologists. Despite the high contrast resolution and high spatial resolution offered by multiparametric pelvic MRI, accurate diagnosis of SV processes can at times be challenging. In this article, we review the anatomy and embryology of the SVs and vasa deferentia and then explore the spectrum of diseases affecting them.

The mud crab, Scylla olivacea, is a high value economic marine animal in Thailand. However, collection of these crabs from natural habitat for local consumption and export has caused rapid population decline. Hence, aquaculture of this species is required and to this measure understanding of endocrine control of their reproduction must be understood. Egg laying hormone (ELH) is a neuropeptide synthesized by the bag cells (neurons) in the abdominal ganglia of Aplysia gastropods. It plays a critical role in controlling egg production and laying in gastropods, and its possible homolog (ELH-like peptide) was reported in the neural and ovarian tissues of prawns and recently in female reproductive tract of the blue swimming crab, Portunus pelagicus. In this study, we have studied the histology of the male reproductive tract in Scylla olivacea which are comprised of anterior testis, posterior testis, early proximal spermatic duct (ePSD), proximal spermatic duct (PSD), middle spermatic duct (MSD) and distal spermatic duct (DSD), by immunohistochemistry, detected an abalone ELH- immunoreactivity (aELH-ir) in epithelium of ducts in posterior testis and epithelium of all parts of spermatic duct. Furthermore, we could detect aELH-ir in neurons of cluster 9, 11, olfactory neuropil (ON) in the brain and in the small neurons located between the third and the fourth thoracic neuropils (T3-T4) and between the fourth and the fifth thoracic neuropils (T4-T5) of thoracic ganglia. Thus, the presence of aELH in male S. olivacea was designated the role of female egg laying behavior in the male mud crab.

Microminipigs are becoming increasingly attractive alternatives for various experimental applications, such as general toxicology studies, owing to their manageable size. However, there are limited studies on the male reproductive organs of microminipigs, particularly on the histological aspects of sexual maturity. To clarify the development of male reproductive organs, 35 male microminipigs, aged 0 to 12 months, were used in this study. Histological and histomorphological evaluation was performed based on spermatogenic development, measurement of tubular structure in testes and epididymides, and histological progress of accessory glands. In addition, spontaneous testicular changes were quantitatively assessed. Histologically, male microminipigs sexually matured around 4.5 months of age, when spermatogenesis in testes and structural development in genital organs were completed. Spontaneous testicular changes occurred in all the animals investigated. Multinucleated giant cell was most commonly observed, followed by hypospermatogenesis and tubular atrophy/hypoplasia. However, the number of affected tubules was less than 1% in testes after 4.5 months of age, suggesting that the influence of these changes on evaluation of toxicity studies may be minimal. It is preferable to use sexually mature animals in toxicology studies; therefore, the information obtained by the present study will be helpful for future toxicity evaluations in microminipigs.

Apolipoprotein D, a 29-kDa secreted glycoprotein that belongs to the lipocalin superfamily, is widely expressed in various tissues and associated with lipid metabolism as a component of high-density lipoproteins. Although Apolipoprotein D binds to small hydrophobic ligands including cholesterol, little is known about effects of high-fat diet with cholesterol on expression of Apolipoprotein D in the male reproductive tract. Therefore, we investigated Apod expression in penises, prostate glands, and testes from rats fed a high-fat diet including a high amount of cholesterol. Our previous research indicated that a high-fat diet induces dyslipidemia leading to histological changes and dysfunction of male reproduction in rats. Consistent with these results, Apod mRNA expression was significantly (p < 0.001) decreased in penises and prostate glands (p < 0.01) and testes (p < 0.01) from rats fed a high-fat diet as compared with normal diet. In addition, Apod mRNA and protein were detected predominantly in urethral epithelium and penile follicle from rats. Moreover, changes in expression of specific microRNAs (miR-229b-3p, miR-423-3p, and miR-490-3p) regulating Apod in the penises and prostate glands were negatively associated with Apod expression. Collectively, results of this study suggest that Apod is a novel regulatory gene in the male reproductive system, especially in penises of rats fed a high-cholesterol diet, and that expression of Apod is regulated at the posttranscriptional level by target microRNAs.