Expression of the c-kit proto-oncogene in the murine male germ cells.
The proto-oncogene c-kit encodes a transmembrane protein tyrosine kinase receptor. The c-kit gene has recently been shown to be allelic with the W locus. Mutations at the white spotting locus (W) affect various aspects of hematopoiesis, melanogenesis and gametogenesis during development and in the adult animal. We have investigated the expression of the proto-oncogene c-kit in mouse testicular cell populations. The c-kit mRNA was found to be expressed at high levels in spermatogonia, and at lower levels in meiotic pachytene spermatocytes. Moreover, two novel testis-specific c-kit transcripts of 3.5 and 2.3 kb are present in postmeiotic haploid germ cells. These results suggest a role of c-kit not only during testis development in the embryo, but also throughout all stages of male germ cell development after birth.
Sorrentino
V
V
European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Federal Republic of Germany.
Giorgi
M
M
Geremia
R
R
Besmer
P
P
Rossi
P
P
D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015870:Gene Expression; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000378:metabolism; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism*
D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit