Sperm storage in the oviduct of the Chinese pond turtle Mauremys reevesii depends on oestrogen-based suppression of the TLR2/4 immune pathway
Wenlong Cai
A , Wei Chen A , Yajie Wang A , Xingjiang Bu A B , Xingquan Xia A and Liuwang Nie A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, Anhui, China.
B Corresponding author. Email: buxingjiang@163.com
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 33(12) 736-745 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD20341
Submitted: 28 December 2020 Accepted: 8 July 2021 Published: 4 October 2021
Abstract
The long-term storage of spermatozoa in the female reproductive tract is limited by the innate immune system. Oestrogen plays a role in regulating the innate immune system. Thus, exploring the expression of genes in the Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2/4 pathway and oestrogen receptors in the oviduct of Mauremys reevesii could contribute to our understanding of the mechanism of sperm storage. In this study, three parts of the oviduct (isthmus, uterus and vagina) in three mated and unmated female turtles were used to perform immunohistochemistry and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Immunohistochemistry revealed that the TLR2/4 protein was mainly distributed in epithelial tissues and glandular cell membranes, and that TLR2/4 levels in the oviduct were significantly decreased in mated compared with unmated turtles. Real-time qPCR indicated that TLR2/4, myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), interleukin 1 receptor associated kinase 4 (IRAK4), TNF receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF6), interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) and interleukin 6 (IL6) mRNA expression was significantly higher in the oviduct of unmated than mated turtles, whereas the opposite was true for the expression of oestrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) and progesterone receptor (PGR). These results indicate that when spermatozoa are stored in the oviduct, an increase in oestrogen suppresses the immune response induced by the TLR2/4 pathway so that spermatozoa are not removed as a foreign substance, but stored until fertilisation. The findings of this study are relevant to our understanding of the relationship between sperm storage and the innate immune system in the oviduct of reptiles.
Keywords: innate immune system, Mauremys reevesii, oestrogen receptor, oviduct, reproductive tract, reptiles, sperm storage, TLR2/4.
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