Testatin: a cystatin-related gene expressed during early testis development.
To isolate genes involved in morphogenic aspects of testis development, and which may act in cell signaling pathways downstream of the testis-determining gene Sry, we have developed a modified mRNA differential display method named signal peptide differential display. It was used to target those genes that encode proteins having a signal peptide sequence. By using this method, we isolated a gene named testatin. This gene was found to be related to a group of genes that encodes cysteine protease inhibitors known as cystatins. Cystatins and their target proteases have been associated with tumor formation and metastasis, but also are involved in natural tissue remodeling events such as bone resorption and embryo implantation. We show that testatin expression is restricted to fetal gonads and adult testis. Furthermore, testatin is expressed during testis cord formation in pre-Sertoli cells, believed to be the site of Sry action, at a time immediately after the peak of Sry expression. This finding suggests that testatin might be activated by transcription factors that are known to orchestrate the early testis development pathway. This gene therefore represents one of the putative downstream targets likely to have an essential role in tissue reorganization during early testis development.
Töhönen
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V
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical Nobel Institute, Karolinska Institutet, S-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
Osterlund
C
C
Nordqvist
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K
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002645:Chickens; D015891:Cystatins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015723:Gene Library; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010053:Ovary / Q000196:embryology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D051876:Sex-Determining Region Y Protein; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development; D014157:Transcription Factors
C116163:Cst9 protein, mouse; D015891:Cystatins; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D051876:Sex-Determining Region Y Protein; C497746:Sry protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors