title: Detection of msj-1 gene expression in the frog, Rana esculenta testis, brain, and spinal cord.
abstract: MSJ-1 is member of the DnaJ/heat shock protein (Hsp) 40 chaperone protein family. It is present in mouse testis and spinal cord. In particular, MSJ-1 is localized in post-meiotic cells and in motoneurones of the ventral horns. To assess whether the role of this protein is evolutionarily conserved, we have investigated if msj-1 gene is expressed in the frog, Rana esculenta. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), a msj-1-like transcript was detected in testis, brain, and spinal cord. Homology ranging from 42.3 to 46.0% was found as compared with the mammalian counterparts. Muscle did not show any signal. By Western blot analysis, a signal of the predicted size of 30 kDa was evidenced in testis, brain, and spinal cord but not in ovary, heart, liver, kidney, and muscle. MSJ-1 fluctuations in the testis reveal that it appeared in concomitance with post-meiotic events during the annual sexual cycle, as shown in a previous study. The protein is localized in spermatids and is still retained in mature spermatozoa, where it has perinuclear and centriolar localization. MSJ-1 levels did not change in brain and spinal cord. Furthermore, in the brain MSJ-1 was mainly present in diencephalon and mesencephalon, while in spinal cord MSJ-1 was localized into several motoneurones of the cervical and thoracic tract. A putative role in vesicle trafficking is briefly discussed.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, II Università di Napoli, via Constantinopoli 16, 80138 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meccariello
authors.forename: Gilda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cobellis
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scarpa
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fienga
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pierantoni
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fasano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D050956:HSP40 Heat-Shock Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D008297:Male; D011893:Rana esculenta; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism*; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D050956:HSP40 Heat-Shock Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins