title: Identification and characterization of a novel testicular germ cell-specific gene Ggnbp1.
abstract: A novel gene Ggnbp1 was identified during yeast two-hybrid screening of gametogenetin protein 1 (GGN1)-interacting proteins. Ggnbp1 gene was found in mouse, rat, and human genomes but not in sequenced yeast, worms, fly, or fish genomes. Northern blotting analysis revealed that the gene was specifically expressed in the testis but not expressed in the other tissues. In situ hybridization showed that it was testicular germ cell-specific and was specifically expressed in later primary spermatocytes, meiotic cells, and early round spermatids. Western blotting analysis detected a protein of expected size in and only in the testis. By making membrane and cytosolic fractions of germ cells, we were able to show that GGNBP1 associated with the membrane. The identification and characterization of a novel germ cell-specific gene Ggnbp1 is the first step toward the defining of the functions of Ggnbp1 in spermatogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, 20 Dong Da Jie Street, Beijing, China, 100071.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Qingguo
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Colin E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.forename: Peitang
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Baisong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity; D013735:Testicular Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; C497525:GGNBP1 protein, mouse; D013735:Testicular Hormones; C474460:germ cell-specific protein 1, mouse