title: Genetic evidence for an androgen-regulated epididymal secretory glutathione peroxidase whose transcript does not contain a selenocysteine codon.
abstract: Epididymal glutathione peroxidase (GPX) has been suggested as a major factor in combating loss of fertility of spermatozoa due to lipid peroxidation. We report here the isolation and sequence of putative GPX cDNAs from rat (Rattus rattus) and cynomolgus-monkey (Macaca fascicularis) epididymis, which exhibit marked sequence identity with known GPXs. In both species the cDNAs encode predicted preproteins containing 221 amino acid residues. Unlike other characterized GPX sequences, epididymal GPX mRNA does not contain a selenocysteine codon (UGA). However, sequence comparison and molecular-modelling studies suggest a high degree of structural conservation between epididymal and other GPXs. Transcripts corresponding to epididymal GPX are not detected in a variety of other tissues (liver, spleen, kidney and testis) and appear to be androgen-regulated in the epididymis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, School of Medical Sciences, U.K.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Niang
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000728:Androgens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003062:Codon; D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004822:Epididymis / Q000201:enzymology*; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D008297:Male; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015394:Molecular Structure; D016566:Organoselenium Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017279:Selenocysteine; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D003062:Codon; D016566:Organoselenium Compounds; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017279:Selenocysteine; D004247:DNA; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D003545:Cysteine