A novel spermatogenesis-related factor-1 gene expressed in maturing rat testis.
A rat gene with testis-specific expression coinciding with spermatogenesis was cloned by differential display. This spermatogenesis-related factor-1 (SRF-1) gene was not expressed in other organs. Testicular expression was detected from 5 weeks of age and increased up to 15 weeks; this level of expression was maintained for 63 weeks. The 750-bp cloned gene was coded for an open reading frame of 202 amino acids. According to in situ hybridization at 7 weeks, this gene was expressed mainly in spermatocyte. The gene product may function as a molecular motor in meiosis, as the deduced amino acid sequence showed partial homology with kinesin-related proteins. The action of this gene and its product with respect to division of reproductive cells requires further investigation.
Yamano
Y
Y
Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Tottori University, Tottori, 680-8553, Japan. yyamano@muses.tottori-u.ac.jp
Ohyama
K
K
Sano
T
T
Ohta
M
M
Shimada
A
A
Hirakawa
Y
Y
Sugimoto
M
M
Morishima
I
I
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D016547:Kinesins; D008297:Male; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D013737:Testis / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*
D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D011506:Proteins; C447033:Spata6 protein, rat; C074152:kinesin-II; D016547:Kinesins