Identification of a novel male germ cell-specific gene TESF-1 in mice.
Mammalian spermatogenesis is precisely regulated by many germ cell-specific factors. In search for such a germ cell-specific factor, we have identified a novel mouse gene testis-specific factor 1 (TESF-1). Messenger RNA of TESF-1 was found only in the testis and its expression appeared to be regulated in a developmental manner. Further analysis demonstrated that the expression of TESF-1 was specifically in male germ cells, supported by the observation that we were not able to detect the TESF-1 mRNA from at/at homozygous mutant testes, which lack germ cells. The deduced amino acid sequence of TESF-1 contains a leucine-zipper motif, a potential nuclear localization signal, and two cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylation sites. The green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged TESF-1 fusion protein was expressed in COS-7 cells and localized primarily in the nucleus. Taken together, these results indicate that TESF-1 is a novel male germ cell-specific gene, and its protein product may function as a nuclear factor involved in the regulation of spermatogenesis.
Fan
Jun
J
Department of Biological Sciences, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA.
Graham
Matthew
M
Akabane
Hiroto
H
Richardson
Laura L
LL
Zhu
Guo-Zhang
GZ
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D013737:Testis / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C508099:Tex24 protein, mouse