title: Developmental expression of Y-box protein 1 mRNA and alternatively spliced Y-box protein 3 mRNAs in spermatogenic cells in mice.
abstract: Y-box proteins bind DNA and RNA and are characterized by a cold shock domain and a carboxyl-terminus containing clusters of aromatic and basic residues that alternate with clusters of acidic residues. Y-box proteins 1 and 3 in mouse testis were cloned here by 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) using a degenerate primer. Northern blots and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) established that the levels of Y-box protein 1 and 3 mRNAs are regulated individually: (i) Y-box protein 1 mRNA is strongly expressed in kidney, whereas Y-box protein 3 mRNA is strongly expressed in heart and muscle; (ii) Y-box protein 1 and 3 mRNAs are weakly expressed in early prepubertal testis and strongly expressed in pachytene spermatocytes, round spermatids, and elongated spermatids; and (iii) prepubertal testes and meiotic and haploid spermatogenic cells express two alternatively spliced Y-box protein 3 mRNAs encoding isoforms with different carboxyl termini, whereas somatic tissues primarily express one form. Sucrose gradients reveal that approximately 27% of both Y-box protein 3 mRNAs are translationally active in adult testis. In conclusion, spermatogenic cells in mice express five isoforms of Y-box proteins including Y-box protein 1, and two isoforms each of Y-box proteins 2 and 3. This multiplicity is intriguing because Y-box proteins are thought to activate transcription and repress translation in spermatogenic cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125-3393, USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mastrangelo
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Kleene
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D013395:Sucrose; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D013395:Sucrose; C415142:Y box protein 3, mouse; C541744:Ybx1 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors