Distribution of nucleolar protein fibrillarin in the seminiferous epithelium of mammals and its role in the chromatoid bodies physiology

Abstract

Chromatoid body (CB) is a typical cytoplasmic organelle of male germ cells, and it seems to be involved in RNA/protein accumulationfor later germ-cell differentiation. Most recent studies focused on the molecular compositionand function of the CB suggest that this structure acts as a subcellular coordinator of different RNA-processing pathways and centralizes posttranscriptional mRNA control in the cytoplasm of haploid germ cells. It has been hypothesized that nucleolar proteins, such as fibrillarin (B36), which is found in the nucleolar CFD playing a role in the rRNA metabolism, may be found in the CBs molecular composition. The aim of the present study is to follow the distribution of the nucleolar protein fibrillarin in seminiferous tubules in different stages of the spermatogenic cycle. We are also going to try to elucite the role that fibrillarin might play for the maintenance of CB physiology. (AU)