Regulation of IkappaBbeta Expression in Testis

IkappaBalpha and IkappaBbeta are regulators of the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) transcription factor family. Both IkappaBs bind to the same NF-kappaB dimers and are widely expressed in different cells and tissues. To better understand how these two IkappaB isoforms differ biologically, we have characterized the expression of IkappaBbeta in testis, a tissue in which IkappaBalpha is only minimally expressed. We have found that IkappaBbeta expression is localized within the haploid spermatid stages of spermatogenesis and follows the expression of nuclear NF-kappaB. IkappaBbeta expression in haploid spermatids is likely regulated by Sox family proteins, members of which are also expressed within spermatids. We have shown that both SRY and Sox-5 can bind to multiple Sox binding sites found within the IkappaBbeta promoter and can enhance transcription of a reporter gene in transient transfection assays. We also demonstrate that IkappaBbeta mRNA is strongly expressed in developing male gonads. These results therefore suggest that IkappaBbeta may be a novel target for transcription factors of the HMG-box SRY/Sox family and imply a potential role for NF-kappaB/IkappaBbeta in spermatogenesis.