Expression of glucose transporter 8 (GLUT8) in spermatogenesis of adult boar testes

The present study was designed to investigate the glucose transporter 8 (GLUT8) expression and localization in adult boar testis. Localization and expression of GLUT8 were conducted with Western Blotting, immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods GLUT8 protein and mRNA were expressed in the boar testes. The results of Western Blotting analysis showed specificity of the antibody for protein of boar testes. The immunohistochemistry results showed that GLUT8 protein mainly localized in spermatocytes, round spermatids and elongated spermatids of the seminiferous tubules in the adult boar testes. And the GLUT8 expression persists during eight stages of boar spermatogenesis. GLUT8 may mainly provide glucose for the later stage of germ cell differentiation in adluminal compartment in adult boar testes. These results suggested that GLUT8 is important for the spermatogenesis in the adult boar testes.