title: Cloning and characterization of the gene encoding the bovine BOULE protein.
abstract: The Deleted in Azoospermia (DAZ) genes encode potential RNA-binding proteins that are expressed exclusively in the germ-line. The bovine Deleted in Azoospermia-like gene is a strong candidate for male cattle-yak infertility. In this work, with the goe goal to further reveal the genetic cause of male cattle-yak sterility, another bovine DAZ family gene, b-boule, was isolated and characterized. The b-boule gene is predicted to encode a polypeptide of 295 amino acids with an RNP-type RNA recognition domain. Tertiary structure analysis shows that b-boule binds specifically to polypyrimidine RNAs and might act as a nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle auxiliary factor during germ cell formation and morphological changes of germ cells. RT-PCR assays revealed that b-boule was expressed specifically in the adult testis. However, an extremely low level of expression was detected in the testis of sterile male cattle-yaks. Microstructure of the testes from sterile males showed that type A spermatogonia were the only germ cells present and that few germ cells developed further than the stage of pachytene spermatocytes. These results suggest that b-boule may function in bovine spermatogenesis, and that low levels of b-boule expression might lead to male sterility in cattle-yaks.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Reproductive Genetics and Molecular Evolution, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing, 210095, People's Republic of China. zhangqingbo19a@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Qingbo
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jiahuang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qifa
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xinfu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhenshan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Dawei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Zhuang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle / Q000235:genetics*; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins