title: Valosine-containing proteins (VCP) in an annelid: identification of a novel spermatogenesis related factor.
abstract: Two cDNAs similar to mammalian valosine-containing proteins (VCPs) were isolated from the common lumbricid earthworm Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826). The primary sequences, referred to as eVCP-1 and eVCP-2, display a similarity of 74%. Despite of the variable C-termini, both eVCPs have a conserved intron/exon organization spanning 14 kb, which is also conserved to their mammalian counterparts. Although this finding strongly suggests VCPs have a common ancestral origin, phylogenetic analysis predicts that eVCP-2 may be distinct. An investigation by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed that, whilst evcp-1 was ubiquitously expressed during all developmental stages, evcp-2 was specifically expressed in the anterior segments of sexually mature earthworms. In situ hybridization clearly demonstrated that evcp-2 is expressed in the seminal vesicles, the location of spermatogenesis, and more precisely within the cytophores surrounded by secondary spermatocytes or spermatids. Taken together, this evidence leads to the notion that eVCP-2 is a likely component involved in the final modulation of spermatogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment and Life Sciences, Kyorin University School of Health Science, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, 192-8505, Japan. yhashi@ori.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tomoharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Stürzenbaum
authors.forename: Shinobu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gamou
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000845:Annelida; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D000074405:Valosin Containing Protein
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D000074405:Valosin Containing Protein