ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of silencing the semenogelin 1 (SEMG1) protein on the cycle and apoptosis of the spermatogonia germ cell line (GC-1 spg). METHODS: SEMG1-specific siRNA was transfected into GC-1 spg cells by lipofectamine 2000 (the siRNA-SEMG1 group), the relative expression levels of the SEMG1 protein in the GC-1 spg cells of the siRNA-SEMG1, blank control and negative control groups were detected by Western blot, and the apoptosis and cycle of the cells in different groups were determined by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The expression of the SEMG1 protein in the GC-1 spg cells was dramatically decreased in the siRNA-SEMG1 group compared with those in the blank and negative control groups (1.80±0.05 vs 2.51±0.13 and 2.50±0.12ï¼ P < 0.01), but the apoptosis rate was remarkably higher in the former than in the latter two groups (ï¼»6.77 ± 0.15ï¼½% vs ï¼»0.70 ± 0.06ï¼½% and ï¼»0.8 ± 0.06ï¼½%, P < 0.01). No statistically significant difference was observed in the cell cycles among the three groups (P > 0.05). In addition, Western blot showed that the expression of the caspase-3 protein was significantly higher and that of the BCL2 protein markedly lower in the siRNA-SEMG1 than in the blank and negative control groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: SEMG1-specific siRNA can effectively silence the expression of the SEMG1 protein in GC-1 spg cells and promote their apoptosis.