Afaf, a novel vesicle membrane protein, is related to acrosome formation in murine testis |
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Authors: | Li Yin-Chuan Hu Xiao-Qian Zhang Ke-Ying Guo Jian Hu Zhao-Yuan Tao Shi-Xin Xiao Li-Juan Wang Qing-Zhong Han Chun-Sheng Liu Yi-Xun |
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Affiliation: | State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, PR China. |
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Abstract: | As a cell-specific organelle, acrosome (Acr) and its formation are an important event for spermiogenesis. However, the Acr formation is far more complicated than has been proposed. In this study, we have cloned a novel membrane protein Afaf (Acr formation associated factor) that was expressed abundantly in the round spermatids, localized in the inner and outer membrane of forming Acrs, and declined in the maturing Acrs. In the transfected Hela cells, Afaf protein was localized in the plasma membrane, EEA1-positive early endosomes (EEs) and occasionally in the nuclei. Therefore, we propose that EEs and plasma membrane may be also directly involved in the Acr biogenesis. |
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Keywords: | Afaf, acrosome formation associated factor EEA1, early endosomal autoantigen 1 ER, endoplasmic reticulum Acr, acrosome EE, early endosome |
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