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Background  Failure of sperm differentiation is one of the major causes of male sterility. During spermiogenesis, spermatids undergo a complex metamorphosis, including chromatin condensation and cell elongation. Although the resulting sperm morphology and property can vary depending on the species, these processes are fundamental in many organisms. Studying genes involved in such processes can thus provide important information for a better understanding of spermatogenesis, which might be universally applied to many other organisms.    Results  In a screen for genes that have gonad-specific expression we isolated an  elav -like gene,  melav2 , from  Macrostomum lignano , containing the three RNA recognition motifs characteristic of  elav -like genes. We found that  melav2  mRNA was expressed exclusively in the testis, as opposed to the known  elav  genes, which are expressed in the nervous system. The RNAi phenotype of  melav2  was characterized by an aberrant spermatid morphology, where sperm elongation often failed, and an empty seminal vesicle.  Melav2  RNAi treated worms were thus male-sterile. Further analysis revealed that in  melav2  RNAi treated worms precocious chromatin condensation occurred during spermatid differentiation, resulting in an abnormally tightly condensed chromatin and large vacuoles in round spermatids. In addition, immunostaining using an early-spermatid specific antibody revealed that  melav2  RNAi treated worms had a larger amount of signal positive cells, suggesting that many cells failed the transition from early spermatid stage.    Conclusion  We characterize a new function for  elav -like genes, showing that  melav2  plays a crucial role during spermatid differentiation, especially in the regulation of chromatin condensation and/or cell elongation.

Melav2, an elav-like gene, is essential for spermatid differentiation in the flatworm Macrostomum lignano