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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 76/1/63    most recent biolreprod.106.054635v1 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 Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zhu, C.-F. Articles by Zhang, Y.-L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zhu, C.-F. Articles by Zhang, Y.-L. Agricola Articles by Zhu, C.-F. Articles by Zhang, Y.-L.

RNase9, an Androgen-Dependent Member of the RNase A Family, Is Specifically Expressed in the Rat Epididymis¹

Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Andrology,³ State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Key Laboratory of Proteomics,⁴ Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, People's Republic of China Laboratories for Reproductive Biology,⁵ University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7500 Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research,⁶ Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China Graduate University of Chinese Acedemy of Sciences,⁷ Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China

ABSTRACT

Members of the RNase superfamily participate in a diverse array of biological processes, including RNA degradation, antipathogen activities, angiogenesis, and digestion. In the present study, we cloned the rat RNase9 gene by in silico methods and genome walking based on homology to the Macaca mulatta (rhesus monkey) epididymal RNase9. The gene is located on chromosome 15p14, spanning two exons, and is clustered with other members of the RNase A superfamily. It contains 1279 bp and encodes 182 amino acids, including a 24-amino acid signal peptide, and it has unique features known from other RNases. Unlike those other members, the rat RNase9 mRNA was specifically expressed in the epididymis, especially in the caput and corpus, and exhibited an androgen-dependent expression pattern but was downregulated in an epididymitis animal model. The RNASE9 was expressed in a principal cell-specific pattern. Interestingly, most of the principal cells in the caput expressed the RNASE9; however, in the distal caput, the principal cells showed a checkerboard-like pattern of immunoreactivity. We also observed that the RNASE9 was bound on the acrosomal domain of sperm. Its potential roles in sperm maturation are discussed.

epididymis, gene regulation, male reproductive tract, principal cells, sperm maturation, testosterone

¹Supported by the Fogarty International Center Research Collaboration Award (1R03TW01490), the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (30230190 and 30570684), Shanghai Science and Technology funding (03JC14080 and 05DZ22103), State 863 High Technology R & D project of China (2004AA221120), and 973 program (2006CB504002).

Correspondence: ² Yong-Lian Zhang, 320 Yue-Yang Rd., Shanghai, P. R. China 200031. FAX: 86 21 54921011; e-mail: ylzhang{at}sibs.ac.cn

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