Structure and promoter activity of the gene encoding ornithine decarboxylase antizyme expressed exclusively in haploid germ cells in testis (OAZt/Oaz3).
Ornithine decarboxylase antizyme 1 and 2 (OAZ1 and OAZ2) are expressed ubiquitously, and control the intracellular concentration of polyamines. Their testicular isoform, OAZt/Oaz3, is specifically expressed in differentiated haploid germ cells. We have identified and characterized the gene encoding OAZt in mice. The mouse OAZt gene contains, as does the human ortholog and paralogs, five exons and four introns. Comparison of the mouse OAZt with the human ortholog gene revealed that exon sizes are identical and nucleotide sequences in exons are highly homologous (83% identity). The major transcriptional start site was determined by primer extension assay. Promoter activity was confirmed by transgenic mouse assays, using the upstream region of the mouse OAZt gene fused to a EGFP reporter gene. The OAZt essential promoter located between -133 and +242, has two CREs and an Inr, and lacks a TATA box. These elements are conserved in the human ortholog but not in the paralogs, indicating that such a short upstream region including two CREs and Inr is sufficient to drive endogenous OAZt mRNA expression in the haploid testicular germ cells.
Ike
Akiko
A
Department of Science for Laboratory Animal Experimentation, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Yamada
Shuich
S
Tanaka
Hiromitsu
H
Nishimune
Yoshitake
Y
Nozaki
Masami
M
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D005796:Genes / Q000235:genetics; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011506:Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D024363:Transcription Initiation Site; D014162:Transfection
D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C031017:ornithine decarboxylase antizyme; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D004247:DNA; D008156:Luciferases; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase