Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39955273›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

In situ architecture of the intercellular organelle reservoir between epididymal epithelial cells by volume electron microscopy.

Xia Li, Feng Qiao, Jiansheng Guo, Ting Jiang, Huifang Lou, Huixia Li, Gangcai Xie, Hangjun Wu, Weizhen Wang, Ruoyu Pei and 14 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

24 authors.

Xia Li *Institute of Special Environmental Medicine and Medical School, Nantong University and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
Feng Qiao *Institute of Special Environmental Medicine and Medical School, Nantong University and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
Jiansheng Guo *School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine and Center of Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China.
Ting Jiang *Institute of Special Environmental Medicine and Medical School, Nantong University and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
Huifang LouSchool of Brain Science and Brain Medicine and Center of Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China.
Huixia LiInstitute of Special Environmental Medicine and Medical School, Nantong University and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
Gangcai XieInstitute of Special Environmental Medicine and Medical School, Nantong University and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8286-2987
Hangjun WuSchool of Brain Science and Brain Medicine and Center of Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China.
Weizhen WangInstitute of Special Environmental Medicine and Medical School, Nantong University and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
Ruoyu PeiInstitute of Special Environmental Medicine and Medical School, Nantong University and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
Sha LiuInstitute of Special Environmental Medicine and Medical School, Nantong University and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
Mei YeInstitute of Special Environmental Medicine and Medical School, Nantong University and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
Jin LiInstitute of Special Environmental Medicine and Medical School, Nantong University and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
Shiqin HuangInstitute of Special Environmental Medicine and Medical School, Nantong University and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
Mengya ZhangInstitute of Special Environmental Medicine and Medical School, Nantong University and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
Chaoye MaInstitute of Special Environmental Medicine and Medical School, Nantong University and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
Yiwen HuangInstitute of Special Environmental Medicine and Medical School, Nantong University and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
Shushu XuInstitute of Special Environmental Medicine and Medical School, Nantong University and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
Xiaofeng LiDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, No. 1120 Lianhua Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, PR China.
Xiao SunDepartment of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, PR China.
Jun YuInstitute of Special Environmental Medicine and Medical School, Nantong University and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3109-4102
Kin Lam FokSchool of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3038-1337
Shumin DuanSchool of Brain Science and Brain Medicine and Center of Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China. duanshumin@zju.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0466-1821
Hao ChenInstitute of Special Environmental Medicine and Medical School, Nantong University and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China. chenhao@gzhmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8319-8101

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 32470903
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Mammalian epididymal epithelial cells are crucial for sperm maturation. Historically, vacuole-like ultrastructures in epididymal epithelial cells were observed via transmission electron microscopy but were undefined. Here, we utilize volume electron microscopy (vEM) to generate 3D reconstructions of epididymal epithelial cells and identify these vacuoles as intercellular organelle reservoirs (IORs) in the lateral intercellular space (LIS), which contains protein aggregates, autophagosomes, lysosome-related organelles and mitochondrial residues. Immunolabelling of organelle markers such as P62, LC3, LAMP1 and TOMM20 confirm these findings. The IOR size or number varies across four epididymal regions and decreases with age. Rab27a mutant mice exhibit reduced IORs in the caput epididymis and a subfertility phenotype, suggesting the involvement of Rab27a in the formation of IORs. Furthermore, we observe the presence of IORs between intestinal epithelial cells besides epididymis. Amino acid transporters at IOR edges suggest dynamic protein recycling. Our findings reveal that the IOR is an important structure critical for organelle turnover and recycling outside epithelial cells with limited self-degradation capabilities.

Indexed as

EpididymisEpithelial CellsOrganellesAnimalsAutophagosomesImaging, Three-DimensionalMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMicroscopy, ElectronMicroscopy, Electron, TransmissionMitochondriarab GTP-Binding ProteinsVacuolesVolume Electron Microscopyrab GTP-Binding Proteins

Identifiers

PMID39955273
PMCPMC11830104

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.