title: The novel epididymal secretory protein ESP13.2 in Macaca fascicularis.
abstract: Newly synthesized mammalian spermatozoa undergo critical modifications as they pass along the epididymis. The modifications endow spermatozoa with fertilizing ability and occur largely as a consequence of epididymal gene expression. With this in mind, we here employed a cDNA cloning strategy designed to identify key epididymal gene products. We describe a novel cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) epididymal transcript designated cy-ESP13.2, of 690 nucleotides. The putative human ortholog was cloned and is highly conserved. Both cDNA sequences predict small, secretory proteins with a disulfide-stabilized core. Anti-peptide polyclonal antibodies were raised to a predicted cy-ESP13.2 surface loop. Western blotting with these antibodies revealed high-level, epididymis-specific expression of cy-ESP13.2, consistent with the pattern of cy-ESP13.2 mRNA expression assessed by Northern blotting. cy-ESP13.2 protein was of 30 kDa and was readily detectable in epithelial cells lining the efferent ductules, initial segment, and cauda regions of the epididymis, but not on spermatozoa. Similarities to members of the four-disulfide-core family suggest clues to ESP13.2 function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Reproductive Biology, University of Hawaii School of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA. perry@hawaii.edu
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moisyadi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coadwell
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry; D030501:Epididymal Secretory Proteins; D004822:Epididymis / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D008297:Male; D008667:Metalloproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013735:Testicular Hormones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D030501:Epididymal Secretory Proteins; D008667:Metalloproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013735:Testicular Hormones