Molecular Responses of HSP60 and HSP90 to Temperature Variations in
Stallion Testes during Breeding and Non-breeding Seasons
Muhammad Shakeel1,4, Song Yobin1 and Minjung
Yoon1, 2, 3*
1Department
of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University,
Sangju 37224, Republic of Korea; 2Department of Horse,
Companion and Wild Animal Science, Kyungpook National University,
Sangju 37224, Republic of Korea; 3Research Institute for
Innovative Animal Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju
37224, Republic of Korea; 4Department of Clinical
Studies, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pir Mehr Ali
Shah, Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi 44000, Pakistan
*Corresponding author:
mjyoonemail@gmail.com
Abstract
Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are a group of molecular chaperones that are crucial
for the proper folding and assembly of proteins and the protection of somatic
and germ cells from damage caused by temperature changes. However, the
localization and seasonal variation patterns of HSPs in stallions’ testes remain
unclear. Thus, we investigated the expression and seasonal variations in the
localization of HSP60 and HSP90 in the testes of stallions. Testes from nine
Thoroughbred stallions collected following castration during the non-breeding
season (NBS) and two different environmental temperature conditions (normal
temperature, NT; March–May and hot temperature, HT; June–August) during the
breeding season (BS) were used. Testis tissues were subjected to Reverse
transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western Blot (WB) analysis
and immunofluorescence (IF) assay. The results revealed that the relative
abundance of HSP60 and HSP90 mRNA transcripts was significantly upregulated
under NT and HT conditions during BS compared with that during NBS conditions.
The WB analysis showed that the relative intensity of protein bands was
significantly higher in NT and HT conditions during the BS than that of those
during the NBS. Immunofluorescence assay showed localization of HSP60 in the
cytoplasm of the Leydig cells during both seasons. HSP90 primarily showed
immunostaining in undifferentiated spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes in NT
and HT conditions and was additionally expressed in the spermatids during the
NBS. The spermatogenesis was not monitored in the present study; however,
findings of this study suggest that the localization of HSP60 and HSP90 varies
in different seasons depending on the temperature, providing insight into the
potential mechanisms influencing spermatogenesis during breeding and
non-breeding seasons in stallions.
To Cite This Article:
Shakeel M, Yobin S and Yoon M, 2024. Molecular
responses of HSP60 and HSP90 to temperature variations in stallion testes during
breeding and non-breeding seasons. Pak Vet J, 44(2): 476-482. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2024.184