title: Restricted expression of Ovol2/MOVO in XY body of mouse spermatocytes at the pachytene stage.
abstract: The development of multicellular organisms is controlled by sequential  activation of a hierarchy of regulatory genes, which encode transcription  factors having DNA-binding motifs. We previously identified a testis-specific  zinc finger transcriptional factor, Ovol2/MOVO, as a mouse homologue of  Drosophila Ovo. Because mice deficient in  Ovol2/Movo die during early embryogenesis, its function in  male germ cells has remained unknown. We have recently succeeded in preparing  anti-Ovol2/MOVO antiserum for immunohistochemical use. In the present study,  we demonstrated that Ovol2/MOVO protein started to be expressed in male germ  cells at 2 weeks after birth and that Ovol2/MOVO expression was restricted to  the XY body in spermatocytes at the pachytene stage. In a reporter assay,  Ovol2/MOVO repressed the histone H1t promoter activity in the  spermatogenic cell line GC-2spd. These results suggest that Ovol2/MOVO may  play an important role in the XY body during spermatogenesis, possibly in the  processes of XY body formation and meiotic sex chromosome inactivation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Chemistry, Kansai Medical University, 10-15 Fumizono, Moriguchi, Osaka 570-8506, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryusuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chizaki
authors.forename: Ikuko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Tayo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katano
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ito
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D049471:Pachytene Stage; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; C491431:MOVO protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors