New clues to identify proteins correlated with Attractin

In our previous study, the age‐dependent testis vacuolisation and sperm dysfunction were found in Attractin (Atrn)‐deficient mice, Atrn^mg‐3J, which is a null or nearly null allele. To explore the potential mechanism involved in these pathological changes, Attractin knock‐down in mouse Sertoli cells TM4 (psiAtrn‐TM4) was successfully established by stable RNA interference. The TM4 transfected by psiRNA‐hH1 (psiRNA‐TM4) was the control group, in which the expression of Atrn was not affected. The proteomic changes among the psiAtrn‐TM4, primary cultures of Sertoli cells of Atrn^mg‐3J (mu‐Sc) and control cells (psiRNA‐TM4) were compared by two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis. Fifteen differentially expressed protein spots of those cells were identified by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionisation time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and the NCBI proteins database. Except the decreased expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD), there were several novel proteins associated with Atrn function, including downregulated ATP synthase, peroxiredoxin 2 and upregulated caspase 6, ketohexokinase, etc., in psiAtrn‐TM4 and mu‐Sc. These data suggest that these differentially expressed proteins may be associated with the function of Atrn in Sertoli cells, thus providing a new clue to interpret the mechanism of testis degeneration in Atrn mutants.