DNA methylation and demethylation events during meiotic prophase in the mouse testis.

The genes encoding three different mammalian testis-specific nuclear chromatin proteins, mouse transition protein 1, mouse protamine 1, and mouse protamine 2, all of which are expressed postmeiotically, are marked by methylation early during spermatogenesis in the mouse. Analysis of DNA from the testes of prepubertal mice and isolated testicular cells revealed that transition protein 1 became progressively less methylated during spermatogenesis, while the two protamines became progressively more methylated; in contrast, the methylation of beta-actin, a gene expressed throughout spermatogenesis, did not change. These findings provide evidence that both de novo methylation and demethylation events are occurring after the completion of DNA replication, during meiotic prophase in the mouse testis.     

GGNBP1抗体制备及小鼠组织表达谱分析

体外实验研究表明配子生成素结合蛋白1(GGNBP1)可能与GGN1相互作用形成睾丸特异性复合物,在精子生成过程中发挥作用.从小鼠睾丸总RNA中反转录扩增Ggnbpl全长cDNA,构建表达质粒,在大肠杆菌中表达GGNBP1,经聚丙烯酰胺凝胶纯化后免疫新西兰白兔,制备兔多抗血清.镍离子金属螯合柱纯化表达的GGNBP1蛋白,与NHS活化基团交联,制备GGNBP1抗体亲和层析柱,纯化GGNBP1多抗.在293FT细胞中瞬时表达Myc-GGNBP1融合蛋白,用于Mvc单抗验证GGNBP1抗体特异性,结果证明获得了特异性的GGNBP1抗体.分别制备小鼠脑、心、肺、肝、脾、肾、肌肉、卵巢、睾丸和子宫组织匀浆,用GGNBP1抗体进行Western印迹分析,结果仅在睾丸组织匀浆中检测到GGNBP1特异性条带,证明GGNBP1是睾丸特异性表达蛋白.     

The evidence for post-meiotic expression of a testis-specific isoform of a regulatory subunit of calcineurin using a monoclonal antibody.

The expression of a regulatory subunit of calcineurin (CaN beta) during rat spermatogenesis was examined in rat testes using a monoclonal antibody Va1. Results showed that a testis-specific isoform of CaN beta was expressed only 3 weeks after birth, when meiosis begins, and increased in amount depending on the maturation of spermatogenesis. The matured sperm, which consists of only post-meiotic cells, is most likely to have only the testis-specific isoform of CaN beta. The brain type isoform of CaN beta was not detected in rat sperm. Immunoblot analysis of testes from different rodent species by a monoclonal antibody Va1 showed that all rodent species examined had their own homologues corresponding to a testis-specific isoform of CaN beta in rats, although they showed distinctively different molecular weights on SDS-PAGE compared to the testis-specific isoform in rats. Each homologue was shown to be specifically expressed in post-meiotic phase of spermatogenesis, as was seen in rats.     

Characterization of a novel testicular form of human hormone-sensitive lipase

Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is an esterase and lipase, which are essential for spermatogenesis. Two HSL mRNAs are expressed in human testis. A long form is encoded by a testis-specific exon and nine exons common to testis and adipocyte HSL. Here we show that the short-form 3.3-kb mRNA possesses a unique 5' end that is transcribed from a novel testis-specific exon. The corresponding protein is similar to the 775-amino-acid-long adipocyte HSL. Immunohistochemistry experiments on human testis sections revealed that the long form is strictly expressed in haploid germ cells whereas the short form is expressed in interstitial and tubular somatic cells as well as premeiotic germ cells.