Germ cell-less like-2 protein is a new component of outer dense fibers in rat sperm flagella.
Reproduction
; 134(6): 749-56, 2007 Dec.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-18042632
We have analyzed the expression profiles of ten genes in terms of testis development and organ specificity in rat, which were selected from 215 round spermatid-specific transcripts listed in a database. Out of the ten genes, we directed our attention to one gene, a germ cell-less like-2 gene (gcl-2), a homolog of Drosophila gcl gene (gcl), which is a component of the germ plasma and required for primordial germ cell formation. Rat genome contains duplicate rat gcl-2 (rgcl-2) genes, rgcl-2A and rgcl-2B, both of which are located at Xq13. RT-PCR analysis showed that the expression of the two genes was up-regulated during testis development and that they were predominantly expressed in the testis. Both rgcl-2A and rgcl-2B encode a protein of 498 amino acid residues, showing 90.56% identity at the amino acid level. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that rgcl-2 protein was synthesized in the cytoplasm of elongating spermatids and at least a part of it was integrated into the middle piece of spermatozoa during spermiogenesis. Immunogold electron microscopy uncovered that rgcl-2 was localized at the abaxial (convex) surface of outer dense fibers (ODF) of rat sperm flagella. Therefore, we concluded that rgcl-2 is a new component of ODF in sperm flagella.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Sperm Tail
/
Proteins
/
Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
/
Gene Expression Profiling
/
Cytoplasm
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Reproduction
Journal subject:
MEDICINA REPRODUTIVA
Year:
2007
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Japan
Country of publication:
United kingdom