title: Cloning and primary characterizations of rLcn9, a new member of epididymal lipocalins in rat.
abstract: Lipocalins are a structurally conserved and diversely functional family of proteins that are of potential importance in epididymis functions. The rat Lcn9 gene was cloned by in silico methods and genome walking based on homology to the rhesus monkey epididymal ESC513 and its polyclonal antisera were prepared. The rat Lcn9 gene is located on chromosome 3p13 spanning 7 exons, contains 2.3 kb and encodes 179 amino acids with a 17-amino acid signal peptide. Northern blot, western blot, and immunohistochemical staining analysis revealed that rat Lcn9 was a novel epididymis-specific gene, expressed selectively in the proximal caput region, influenced by luminal fluid testicular factors. Moreover, Lcn9 protein was modified by N-glycosylation and bound on the postacrosomal domain of caput sperm. In conclusion, the rat Lcn9 exhibited tissue-, region-, and temporal-specific expression patterns and its expression was regulated by luminal testicular factors. Its potential roles in sperm maturation are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.
authors.forename: Xiangqi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaoni
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: Shigui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shuanggang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Chunfang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Susan H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Frank S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: French
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yonglian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004822:Epididymis / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006031:Glycosylation; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D054834:Lipocalins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009919:Orchiectomy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D043343:Testosterone Propionate / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; C578502:Lcn9 protein, rat; D054834:Lipocalins; D043343:Testosterone Propionate