A novel gonadotropin-regulated testicular RNA helicase. A new member of the dead-box family.
A gonadotropin-regulated testicular RNA helicase (GRTH) was identified and characterized. GRTH cloned from rat Leydig cell, mouse testis, and human testis cDNA libraries is a novel member of the DEAD-box protein family. GRTH is transcriptionally up-regulated by chorionic gonadotropin via cyclic AMP-induced androgen formation in the Leydig cell. It has ATPase and RNA helicase activities and increases translation in vitro. This helicase is highly expressed in rat, mouse, and human testes and weakly expressed in the pituitary and hypothalamus. GRTH is produced in both somatic (Leydig cells) and germinal (meiotic spermatocytes and round haploid spermatids) cells and is developmentally regulated. GRTH predominantly localized in the cytoplasm may function as a translational activator. This novel helicase could be relevant to the control of steroidogenesis and the paracrine regulation of androgen-dependent spermatogenesis in the testis.
Tang
P Z
PZ
Section of Molecular Endocrinology, NICHHD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
Tsai-Morris
C H
CH
Dufau
M L
ML
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000502:physiology*; D006062:Gonadotropins / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020365:RNA Helicases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000201:enzymology*; D015854:Up-Regulation
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D006062:Gonadotropins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D020365:RNA Helicases