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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 71/6/1927    most recent biolreprod.104.032789v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal My Folders Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kitamura, K. Articles by Nishimune, Y. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kitamura, K. Articles by Nishimune, Y. Agricola Articles by Kitamura, K. Articles by Nishimune, Y.

Characterization of a Novel Postacrosomal Perinuclear Theca-Specific Protein, CYPT1

Department of Science for Laboratory Animal Experimentation, Research Institute for Microbial Disease, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan

The perinuclear theca (PT) is a unique cytoskeletal structure that surrounds the nucleus of the sperm. The posterior acrosome segment of the PT (postacrosomal PT) is thought to play roles in shaping the nucleus during differentiation of the spermatid and in activating the oocyte during fertilization. We isolated a cDNA clone that encoded a novel haploid germ cell-specific cysteine-rich perinuclear theca protein, CYPT1. The transcripts were expressed exclusively in testicular germ cells after meiotic division. Sequence analysis revealed that CYPT1 comprised 168 amino acids and that the N-terminal was rich in basic amino acids, including cysteine clusters. Immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses localized CYPT1 to the postacrosomal PT of elongated spermatids and mature sperm. The cypt1 had three paralogs that were expressed in adult testis. A comparison of genomic structure suggested that two of the three cypt1 paralogs were generated by gene triplication on the X chromosome, while one paralog was retrotransposed to an autosome. Interestingly, the 5'-flanking regions of these genes were highly homologous with the promoter region of the spermatid-specific gene Zfy-2. CYPT1 and the proteins of the paralogous genes constitute a novel, basic cysteine-rich sperm protein family that may contribute to the function of the postacrosomal PT during nuclear shaping.

² Current address: Department of Development and Differentiation, Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan

¹ Correspondence: Yoshitake Nishimune, Research Institute for Microbial Disease, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. FAX: 81 6 6879 8339; nishimun{at}biken.osaka-u.ac.jp

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