title: The putative testis-determining factor and related genes are expressed as discrete-sized transcripts in adult gonadal and somatic tissues.
abstract: The zinc-finger-Y (ZFY) gene is a candidate for the testis-determining-factor gene (TDF) on the human Y chromosome and is postulated to initiate testis differentiation during embryogenesis. However, the present study indicates that the ZFY gene and its X homologue (ZFX) are differentially expressed in adult tissues. A human testis-specific ZFY cDNA was isolated and completely sequenced. The corresponding ZFY transcript encodes a protein that has 801 amino acids and a calculated molecular weight of 90.6 kD. Expression analysis demonstrated that ZFY is transcribed primarily as 3- and 5.7-kb mRNA in testis and somatic cells, respectively. In contrast, the ZFX gene is expressed as a 5-kb transcript in the testis and as 6.7- and 8-kb transcripts in both ovarian and somatic tissues. With sets of gene-specific oligonucleotides, the origin and relative amount of the respective transcripts can be demonstrated in both Northern hybridization and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis. Significantly, the 3-kb ZFY transcript was also detected in other mammalian adult testes. The testis-specific transcription of the ZFY gene hence suggests that it serves a conserved function in this organ.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
authors.forename: Y F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D008297:Male; D008667:Metalloproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010053:Ovary; D013737:Testis; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014998:Y Chromosome
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D008667:Metalloproteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C054430:ZFY protein, human; D004247:DNA