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Localization of Kex2‐like processing endoproteases, furin and PC4, within mouse testis by in situ hybridization
Author(s) -
Torii Seiji,
Yamagishi Toshiyuki,
Murakami Kazuo,
Nakayama Kazuhisa
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(93)81726-g
Subject(s) - furin , in situ hybridization , biology , proenkephalin , microbiology and biotechnology , messenger rna , biochemistry , gene , enzyme , receptor , opioid peptide , opioid
By in situ hybridization analysis, we show here the localization of furin and PC4, which are both members of a growing family of endoproteases structurally related to the yeast precursor processing protease Kex2, within mouse testis. Furin transcript was detected in both germ and somatic cells, while PC4 transcript was found only in round spermatids. Proenkephalin transcript was also localized in round spermatids. These observations suggest that, within testis, PC4 is involved in processing of peptide precursors such as proenkephalin and may play a role in regulation of sperm maturation. while furin may serve as a more general processing endoprotease.