Molecular cloning and characterization of the human orthologue of the oppo 1 gene encoding a sperm tail protein.
We report here the molecular cloning and characterization of a human orthologue of oppo 1, a mouse gene encoding a male germ-cell-specific sperm tail protein, and the organization of its genomic structure. The mRNA of the human oppo 1 gene (h-oppo 1) was expressed exclusively in the testis, and the 30 kDa protein encoded by the mRNA was detected in human testis and sperm. Immunohistochemical analyses showed that human OPPO 1 protein was localized in the flagellae of ejaculated sperm. A human genomic DNA database search indicated that the h-oppo 1 gene mapped to chromosome 17. The genomic structure of h-oppo 1 showed differences in exon/intron usage, the sequence of the 5'-flanking region, and the first intron was rich in Alu repeats as compared with the mouse oppo 1 gene. Comparison of the two genomic sequences indicated that human oppo 1 has evolved independently, resulting in substantial differences in the genomic structure after the human-mouse split, whereas the sequence of the basic functional unit of the oppo 1 gene seems to have been relatively well conserved.
Department of Science for Laboratory Animal Experimentation, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Kouichi
K
Kitamura
Yasushi
Y
Miyagawa
Naoko
N
Iguchi
Hiromi
H
Nishimura
Hiromitsu
H
Tanaka
Yoshitake
Y
Nishimune
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013082:Sperm Tail / Q000378:metabolism*; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism
C485357:ODF4 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins; C470246:oppo 1 protein, mouse