Germ cell-specific enhancer activity of a repeated element in a variable region of the mouse genome.
We recently described a complex genetic structure on mouse chromosome 8, a region of the murine genome in which genetic rearrangements frequently occur. A large repeated element specific to this chromosome was found to overlap with one of the cadherin genes (Cad11). An additional degree of complexity became apparent with the identification, in a subset of laboratory strains of mice, of a retrogene integrated into one of the repeated units. Designated Sycp1-ps2, it originated from the early meiotic gene encoding Synaptonemal Complex Protein 1. We now report that, among wild Mus species in which the retrogene is not present, this region of Chr 8 shows a high degree of variability. Sequence analysis showed that integration of Sycp1-ps2 created a 5' transcription initiator element. Transcription of the pseudogene in the testis was directly demonstrated. A germ cell-specific enhancer activity was localized within a 1117 bp region of the repeat, which was sufficient to direct the expression of reporter genes in transgenic mice to late meiotic and post-meiotic spermatogenic cells.
Sage
J
J
Unité 470 de l'INSERM, Université de Nice, France.
Martin
L
L
Rassoulzadegan
M
M
Cuzin
F
F
D000818:Animals; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016678:Genome; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009115:Muridae; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011544:Pseudogenes / Q000235:genetics; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics*; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D019076:Transgenes / Q000235:genetics
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C489754:Sycp1 protein, mouse