title: Systematic variation in mRNA 3'-processing signals during mouse spermatogenesis.
abstract: Gene expression and processing during mouse male germ cell maturation (spermatogenesis) is highly specialized. Previous reports have suggested that there is a high incidence of alternative 3'-processing in male germ cell mRNAs, including reduced usage of the canonical polyadenylation signal, AAUAAA. We used EST libraries generated from mouse testicular cells to identify 3'-processing sites used at various stages of spermatogenesis (spermatogonia, spermatocytes and round spermatids) and testicular somatic Sertoli cells. We assessed differences in 3'-processing characteristics in the testicular samples, compared to control sets of widely used 3'-processing sites. Using a new method for comparison of degenerate regulatory elements between sequence samples, we identified significant changes in the use of putative 3'-processing regulatory sequence elements in all spermatogenic cell types. In addition, we observed a trend towards truncated 3'-untranslated regions (3'-UTRs), with the most significant differences apparent in round spermatids. In contrast, Sertoli cells displayed a much smaller trend towards 3'-UTR truncation and no significant difference in 3'-processing regulatory sequences. Finally, we identified a number of genes encoding mRNAs that were specifically subject to alternative 3'-processing during meiosis and postmeiotic development. Our results highlight developmental differences in polyadenylation site choice and in the elements that likely control them during spermatogenesis.
authors.affiliation: The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA.
authors.forename: Donglin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Brockman
authors.forename: Brinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dass
authors.forename: Lucie N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Hutchins
authors.forename: Priyam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: McCarrey
authors.forename: Clinton C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: MacDonald
authors.forename: Joel H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Graber
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D026723:Polyadenylation; D039104:RNA 3' Polyadenylation Signals; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism*; D039221:mRNA Cleavage and Polyadenylation Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D039221:mRNA Cleavage and Polyadenylation Factors