Aym1, a mouse meiotic gene identified by virtue of its ability to activate early meiotic genes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that operate during differentiation of mitotically dividing spermatogonia cells into spermatocytes lags way behind what is known about other differentiating systems. Given the evolutionary conservation of the meiotic process, we screened for mouse proteins that could specifically activate early meiotic promoters in Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells, when fused to the Gal4 activation domain (Gal4AD). Our screen yielded the Aym1 gene that encodes a short peptide of 45 amino acids. We show that a Gal4AD-AYM1 fusion protein activates expression of reporter genes through the promoters of the early meiosis-specific genes IME2 and HOP1, and that this activation is dependent on the DNA-binding protein Ume6. Aym1 is transcribed predominantly in mouse primary spermatocytes and in gonads of female embryos undergoing the corresponding meiotic divisions. Aym1 immunolocalized to nuclei of primary spermatocytes and oocytes and to specific type A spermatogonia cells, suggesting it might play a role in the processes leading to meiotic competence. The potential functional relationship between AYM1 and yeast proteins that regulate expression of early meiotic genes is discussed.
Malcov
Mira
M
Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel.
Cesarkas
Karen
K
Stelzer
Gil
G
Shalom
Sarah
S
Dicken
Yosef
Y
Naor
Yaniv
Y
Goldstein
Ronald S
RS
Sagee
Shira
S
Kassir
Yona
Y
Don
Jeremy
J
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006066:Gonads / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010957:Plasmids; D011247:Pregnancy; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
C495025:Aym1 protein, S cerevisiae; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C052130:GAL4 protein, S cerevisiae; C086672:HOP1 protein, S cerevisiae; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C089979:UME6 protein, S cerevisiae; D011494:Protein Kinases; C064979:IME2 protein, S cerevisiae; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases