Testis determination in mammals is initiated by expression of SRY in somatic cells of the embryonic gonad. Genetic analyses in the mouse have revealed a requirement for mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling in testis determination: targeted loss of the kinases MAP3K4 and p38 MAPK causes complete XY embryonic gonadal sex reversal. These kinases occupy positions at the top and bottom ...

Based on sequence homology to insulin and relaxin, we have isolated two novel genes of the insulin superfamily from mouse tissues. Because these proteins show a high similarity to relaxin and relaxin-like factor (RLF or Ley I-L), they were named as RIF1 (relaxin/insulin-like factor 1) and RIF2 (relaxin/insulin-like factor 2). After RT-PCR, full-length cDNAs of RIF1 and RIF2 were obtained from m...

Background: Mammals utilise an XX/XY system of sex determination in which the Y-linked gene SRY (Sexdetermining region Y) exerts a dominant masculinising influence on sexual development. Sex chromosome homology and comparative sequence studies suggest that SRY evolved from the related SOX3 gene on the X chromosome, although there is no direct functional evidence to support this hypothesis. The ...

AIM To investigate the expression of Spindlin 1 (Spin 1) isoform2 and assess its function in mouse testis. METHODS First, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to determine whether Spin1 isoform2 is present in mouse testis. Then the expression patterns of the isoform between newborn and adult mice testes were compared by immunoblot analysis. Finally, the diversity ...

PRAME belongs to a group of cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) that are characterized by their restricted expression in normal gametogenic tissues and a variety of tumors. The PRAME family is one of the most amplified gene families in the mouse and other mammalian genomes. Members of the PRAME gene family encode leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins functioning as transcription regulators in cancer cel...

In this study, we investigated the expression of the mammalian FAD-dependent sulphydryl oxidase Erv1p/Alrp in the rat and mouse and during mouse spermatogenesis. Up to three forms of Alrp were identified in protein extracts from different tissues and organs, but very little enzyme was present in blood samples. The three forms of Alrp represent the full-length protein of 23 kDa and fragments of ...

Germ cell nuclear factor (GCNF) is a transcription factor that can repress gene transcription and plays an important role during spermatogenesis. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARdelta) is a nuclear hormone receptor belonging to the steroid receptor superfamily. It can activate the expression of many genes, including those involved in lipid metabolism. In this report, we sh...