Objective: To explore the role of CDC25B protein in postmeiotic germ cells.
Design: In vitro experiment.
Setting: University-based reproductive genetics laboratory.
Patient(s): Fertile and infertile volunteers.
Intervention(s): Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), real-time RT-PCR, and immunostaining for CDC25B.
Main outcome measure: Expression profiling of CDC25B in human spermatozoa.
Result(s): Four splicing variants (CDC25B1, B2, B3, and B4) are expressed in human spermatozoa. Immunofluorescence staining showed strong homogeneous staining in the midpiece of spermatozoa, and weak staining in the principal piece and cytosol of the head. The messenger RNA (mRNA) transcript level of CDC25B was increased in sperm samples of men with asthenospermia.
Conclusion(s): The expression of CDC25B in different cellular compartments of human spermatozoa suggests that there are diverse noncell-cycle-related functions of CDC25B in terminally differentiated human germ cells.