title: Gcse, a novel germ-cell-specific gene, is differentially expressed during meiosis and gametogenesis.
abstract: Gametogenesis is a complex process wherein germ cells develop from primordial diploid cells into haploid gametes. To understand the mechanisms controlling gametogenesis, we identified a novel germ-cell-specific gene, Gcse. Gcse produces two major transcripts that are 1589 bp (Gcse-l) and 906 bp (Gcse-s) in length. Northern blotting and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses of multiple tissues reveal that Gcse-l is expressed in both adult testes and ovaries, but Gcse-s is expressed only in adult testes. During female gonad development, Gcse-l is expressed from embryonic day 13.5 to adulthood, specifically in oocytes, and maintained in ovulated and fertilized eggs. However, Gcse-s signals were detected only in ovulated oocytes and fertilized eggs but not in adult ovary. During male gonad development, strong Gcse-l signals were detected in late pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids. However, Gcse-s transcripts exist only in round spermatids. Furthermore, the expression of GCSE-L proteins and their subcellular localizations within cells are stage specific. GCSE-L is detected in the nucleus of late pachytene spermatocytes. During meiosis, GCSE-L is translocated to acrosome regions in spermatids and maintained in the acrosome of spermatozoa. GCSE-L colocalizes with acrosin and lectin peanut agglutinin in the Golgi apparatus. However, GCSE-S proteins are expressed only in the nucleus of spermatids. From these results, we suggest that GCSE proteins play roles in meiosis and may be involved in acrosome biogenesis during spermiogenesis.
authors: 1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors: Shih-Ling
authors: SL
authors: Huang
authors: Tz-Chong
authors: TC
authors: Chou
authors: Ting-Hui
authors: TH
authors: Lin
authors: Ming-Shiun
authors: MS
authors: Tsai
authors: Sue-Hong
authors: SH
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005718:Gametogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010053:Ovary / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
keywords:    Gcse gene; acrosome; gametogenesis; meiosis; spermiogenesis