Molecular Human Reproduction, Vol. 7, No. 11, 1023-1031,
November 2001
© 2001 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Testis and spermatogenesis |
Expression of a Y-box protein, YB2/RYB-a, precedes protamine 2 expression during spermatogenesis in rodents
1 Department of Biochemistry and 2 Department of Orthopedics, Yamagata University School of Medicine, 2-2-2 Iidanishi, Yamagata 990-9585, Japan
Abstract
Y-box binding proteins, a large family of proteins, are involved in a variety of functions. The present study describes the expression of YB2, a rat Y-box binding protein, and/or RYB-a, an alternatively spliced product of the YB2 gene during spermatogenesis. YB2/RYB-a is thought to be the rat orthologue of mouse Y-box protein 3 (MSY3). An antibody which recognizes YB2/RYB-a was developed and applied in an immunochemical study of rat and mouse testes. We also carried out an in-situ hybridization study and Northern blot analysis of YB2/RYB-a and protamine 2 mRNA expression. Both YB2/RYB-a mRNA and the proteins appeared in prepubertal mouse testes, prior to the expression of the mouse protamine 2 mRNA. The mRNA and protein were present at high levels in spermatocytes, decreased in round to elongated spermatids, and were absent in spermatozoa. Since the protamine 2 mRNA was present at high levels in round and elongating spermatids, the proposed function of the YB2/RYB-a protein as a translational repressor of the mRNA was supported in mouse. The level and localization of YB2/RYB-a mRNA and protein expression in the rat testis was comparable to that in mouse testis, although rat testis is known to express a very low level of protamine 2, but is also likely to affect the expression of other proteins (including protamine 1) during spermatogenesis.
in-situ hybridization/protamine/spermatogenesis/translational repression/Y-box proteins
Notes
3 To whom all correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jfujii{at}med.id.yamagata-u.ac.jp
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