title: DEFT, a novel death effector domain-containing molecule predominantly expressed in testicular germ cells.
abstract: Apoptosis is a physiological process by which multicellular organisms eliminate unwanted cells. Death factors such as Fas ligand induce apoptosis by triggering a series of intracellular protein-protein interactions mediated by defined motifs found in the signaling molecules. One of these motifs is the death effector domain (DED), a stretch of about 80 amino acids that is shared by adaptors, regulators, and executors of the death factor pathway. We have identified the human and rat complementary DNAs encoding a novel protein termed DEFT (Death EFfector domain-containing Testicular molecule). The N-terminus of DEFT shows a high degree of homology to the DEDs found in FADD (an adaptor molecule) as well as procaspase-8/FLICE and procaspase-10/Mch4 (executors of the death program). Northern blot hybridization experiments have shown that the DEFT messenger RNA (mRNA) is expressed in a variety of human and rat tissues, with particularly abundant expression in the testis. In situ hybridization analysis further indicated the expression of DEFT mRNA in meiotic male germ cells. In a model of germ cell apoptosis induction, an increase in testis DEFT mRNA was found in immature rats after 2 days of treatment with a GnRH antagonist. Unlike FADD and procaspase-8/FLICE, overexpression of DEFT did not induce apoptosis in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Although cotransfection studies indicated that DEFT is incapable of modulating apoptosis effected by FADD and procaspase-8/FLICE, interactions between DEFT and uncharacterized DED-containing molecules in the testis remain to be studied in the future. In conclusion, we have identified a novel DED-containing protein with high expression in testis germ cells. This protein may be important in the regulation of death factor-induced apoptosis in the testis and other tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305-5317, USA.
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Leo
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: McGee
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salanova
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hsueh
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D016466:CHO Cells; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D006224:Cricetinae; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D053418:Death Domain Receptor Signaling Adaptor Proteins; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C116096:DEDD protein, human; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D053418:Death Domain Receptor Signaling Adaptor Proteins; C486433:Dedd protein, rat; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger