title: TEX101, a glycoprotein essential for sperm fertility, is required for stable expression of Ly6k on testicular germ cells.
abstract: TEX101, a germ cell-specific glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored glycoprotein, is associated with Ly6k during spermatogenesis in testis. Although both Tex101(-/-) and Ly6k(-/-) mice can produce morphologically intact spermatozoa, both knockout mice show an infertile phenotype due to a disorder of spermatozoa to migrate into the oviduct. Since Ly6k specifically interacts with TEX101, complex formation of TEX101/Ly6k appears to be potentially important for functional sperm production. This study evaluated the fate of Ly6k in the presence or absence of TEX101 to explore the molecular interaction of both GPI-anchored proteins in seminiferous tubules. The present study showed that: 1) Although Ly6k mRNA was detected, the protein was present at very low levels in mature testes of Tex101(-/-) mice, 2) Ly6k mRNA level was within the normal range in Tex101(-/-) mice, 3) Ly6k mRNA was translated into a polypeptide in the testes of Tex101(+/+) and Tex101(-/-) mice, and 4) TEX101, as well as Ly6k, are co-factors that affect to molecular expression. These results indicate that both TEX101 and Ly6k contribute to the post-translational counterpart protein expression at the cell membrane. This mechanism may be important in maintaining the production of fertile spermatozoa during spermatogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental &Gender-specific Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Urayasu, Chiba 279-0021, Japan.|Department of Obstetrics &Gynecology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Shuichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental &Gender-specific Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Urayasu, Chiba 279-0021, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshitake
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Oncology, Pharmacy Practice and Sciences, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsukamoto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Environmental Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Plant Metabolic Regulation, Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan.
authors.forename: Ko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental &Gender-specific Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Urayasu, Chiba 279-0021, Japan.
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakuraba
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental &Gender-specific Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Urayasu, Chiba 279-0021, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takamori
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics &Gynecology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8641, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics &Gynecology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental &Gender-specific Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Urayasu, Chiba 279-0021, Japan.|Department of Obstetrics &Gynecology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Araki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000950:Antigens, Ly / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000378:metabolism; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D013091:Spermatogenesis
chemical_list: D000950:Antigens, Ly; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; C553976:Ly6k protein, mouse; C426726:TEX101 protein, mouse