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Tesmin transcription is regulated differently during male and female meiosis
Author(s) -
Olesen Christian,
Møller Morten,
Byskov Anne Grete
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/mrd.20007
Subject(s) - biology , prophase , meiosis , transcription (linguistics) , in situ hybridization , andrology , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , messenger rna , gene , medicine , linguistics , philosophy
Abstract Tesmin is a protein with homology to the metal‐binding motif of the metallothionein protein family. Tesmin has been described as a testis‐specific transcript, which starts to accumulate in 8‐day‐old mouse spermatocytes. Herein, a differential display comparing meiotic gene expression in embryonic ovaries and mature testes also revealed the presence of the Tesmin transcript in fetal ovaries as well as in fetal and adult heart. Time‐course experiments showed that Tesmin was expressed in a characteristic development‐related manner in fetal ovaries. Only a weak expression was observed at E12½, the strongest signal was reached at E14½, whereas the signal declined between E14½ and E16½. This transitional expression coincides with the early stages of the female meiotic prophase I. In the male, however, Tesmin was expressed in all stages of meiotic prophase I except preleptonema and leptonema. In situ hybridization further showed that the mRNA level increased during prophase I in the male, with the strongest expression seen at the transition from mid‐ to late pachytema (Stage VII–VIII). Furthermore, initiation of Tesmin transcription paralleled that of the synaptonemal complex protein 1 transcript (Scp1) in the fetal ovary and prepubertal testis. We, therefore, propose that Tesmin is likely to have a function in both the male and female meiotic prophase I. Moreover, the distinct difference in both the timing and the level of mRNA accumulation in the two gender's meiotic prophase I suggests that Tesmin transcription may be controlled by two different mechanisms during male and female meiosis. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 67: 116–126, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.