Androgen-regulated genes in the murine epididymis.

The epididymis is an androgen-responsive tissue where spermatozoa mature and gain motility. The three major regions of the epididymis, caput, corpus, and cauda, are known to have different functions and exhibit varied gene expression. Specific genes within the different regions of the epididymis have been identified to be under the influence of androgens. The goal of this study was to begin to elucidate the profile of androgen-responsive genes that may be important for sperm maturation using the Affymetrix MGU74Av2 GeneChip oligonucleotide microarray platform. Adult mice (B6/129 strain) were castrated and treated 6 days after castration with two injections of 5 mg of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or oil over a 48-h period. The mice were killed 48 h later and total RNA was purified from the caput, corpus, and cauda regions of the epididymis. Using GeneSpring 5.0 (Silicon Genetics) software, transcripts were identified that were upregulated 2-fold or more by DHT in the caput (33 transcripts), the corpus (8 transcripts), and the cauda (9 transcripts).