KIF3A regulates the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway via transporting ß-catenin during spermatogenesis in Eriocheir sinensis.

ABSTRACT

The Wnt/ß-catenin pathway participates in many important physiological events such as cell proliferation and differentiation in the male reproductive system. We found that Kinesin-2 motor KIF3A is highly expressed during spermatogenesis in Eriocheir sinensis; it may potentially promote the intracellular transport of cargoes in this process. However, only a few studies have focused on the relationship between KIF3A and the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway in the male reproductive system of decapod crustaceans. In this study, we cloned and characterized the CDS of ß-catenin in E. sinensis for the first time. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence results showed the colocalization of Es-KIF3A and Es-ß-catenin at the mRNA and the protein level respectively. To further explore the regulatory function of Es-KIF3A to the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, the es-kif3a was knocked down by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in vivo and in primary cultured cells in testes of E. sinensis. Results showed that the expression of es-ß-catenin and es-dvl were decreased in the es-kif3a knockdown group. The protein expression level of Es-ß-catenin was also reduced and the location of Es-ß-catenin was changed from nucleus to cytoplasm in the late stage of spermatogenesis when es-kif3a was knocked down. Besides, the co-IP result demonstrated that Es-KIF3A could bind with Es-ß-catenin. In summary, this study indicates that Es-KIF3A can positively regulate the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway during spermatogenesis and Es-KIF3A can bind with Es-ß-catenin to facilitate the nuclear translocation of Es-ß-catenin.