Background: The high mobility group box chromosomal protein 1 (HMGB1) was originally shown to be a nuclear DNA-binding protein that activates transcription and promotes differentiation. More recently, there have been reports that HMGB1 may also function as a pro-inflammatory and antibacterial factor. The aim of this study was to investigate the testicular expression and antibacterial functions of HMGB1 to elucidate a possible role of HMGB1 in the testicular barrier defence against infections.
Methods and results: RT-PCR and in situ hybridization revealed high-level testicular expression of HMGB1 mRNA and localization of this expression to the Sertoli cells and germ cells of the human and rat testis. In addition, immunohistochemical examination demonstrated the presence of the corresponding protein in Sertoli cells and spermatogonia in human and rat testes. Western blotting detected abundant amounts of the HMGB1 protein in the interstitial and intratubular fluids of the intact adult rat testis. Finally, the HMGB1 protein purified from both human and rat testis by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) exerted antibacterial activity towards Bacillus megaterium in an inhibition zone assay.
Conclusion: HMGB1 is expressed by Sertoli cells and germ cells in the mammalian testis. In addition, purified testicular HMGB1 shows antibacterial activity, indicating that this protein may function as a paracrine host defence factor in the testis.