title: Molecular Cloning of Spergen-4, Encoding a Spermatogenic Cell-Specific Protein Associated with Sperm Flagella and the Acrosome Region in Rat Spermatozoa.
abstract: We used a differential display in combination with complementary DNA (cDNA) cloning approach to isolate a novel rat gene LOC690919 with an open reading frame of 1227-length nucleotides encoding a protein of 409 amino acids. This gene was designated as Spergen-4 (a spermatogenic cell-specific gene-4). Spergen-4 mRNA was highly expressed in testis, and its expression was detected in rat testis starting at three weeks of postnatal development and persisting up to adulthood. Mouse and human orthologs, which lack N-terminal 77 amino acid residues of rat Spegen-4, were found in the database. Immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoblot analysis demonstrated that Spergen-4 was not expressed in spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and round spermatids, but was restrictedly detected at sperm head, cytoplasm, and developing flagella of elongated spermatids in rat testis. In mature spermatozoa, Spergen-4 was detected at the acrosome region as well as the principal piece of flagella. Spergen-4 immunosignal disappeared from sperm heads on acrosome reaction induced by progesterone. These data suggest that Spergen-4 integrated into elongated spermatids during spermiogenesis serves as a constituent for acrosome region and flagella of rat spermatozoa.
authors.affiliation: 1 Laboratory of Zoology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyushu University,Higashiku Hakozaki 6-10-1, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.|2 Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Sohag University, Sohag, Naser City, Egypt, PO. 82524.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Howida
authors.affiliation: 1 Laboratory of Zoology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyushu University,Higashiku Hakozaki 6-10-1, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.|2 Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Sohag University, Sohag, Naser City, Egypt, PO. 82524.
authors.forename: Elsaid
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salaheldeen
authors.affiliation: 1 Laboratory of Zoology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyushu University,Higashiku Hakozaki 6-10-1, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iida
mesh_terms: D000177:Acrosome / Q000502:physiology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D013082:Sperm Tail / Q000502:physiology*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C000609643:Ccdc189 protein, rat; D009687:Nuclear Proteins
keywords: Spergen-4; acrosome; fibrous sheath; flagellum; sperm