TOPAZ1, a Novel Germ Cell-specific Expressed Gene Conserved During Evolution Across Vertebrates

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2011 Nov 10

PMID 22069478

Citations 6

Authors

Adrienne Baillet

Ronan Le Bouffant

Jean Nicolas Volff

Alix Luangpraseuth

Elodie Poumerol

Dominique Thepot

Eric Pailhoux

Gabriel Livera

Corinne Cotinot

Beatrice Mandon-Pepin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: We had previously reported that the Suppression Subtractive Hybridization (SSH) approach was relevant for the isolation of new mammalian genes involved in oogenesis and early follicle development. Some of these transcripts might be potential new oocyte and granulosa cell markers. We have now characterized one of them, named TOPAZ1 for the Testis and Ovary-specific PAZ domain gene.

Principal Findings: Sheep and mouse TOPAZ1 mRNA have 4,803 bp and 4,962 bp open reading frames (20 exons), respectively, and encode putative TOPAZ1 proteins containing 1,600 and 1653 amino acids. They possess PAZ and CCCH domains. In sheep, TOPAZ1 mRNA is preferentially expressed in females during fetal life with a peak during prophase I of meiosis, and in males during adulthood. In the mouse, Topaz1 is a germ cell-specific gene. TOPAZ1 protein is highly conserved in vertebrates and specifically expressed in mouse and sheep gonads. It is localized in the cytoplasm of germ cells from the sheep fetal ovary and mouse adult testis.

Conclusions: We have identified a novel PAZ-domain protein that is abundantly expressed in the gonads during germ cell meiosis. The expression pattern of TOPAZ1, and its high degree of conservation, suggests that it may play an important role in germ cell development. Further characterization of TOPAZ1 may elucidate the mechanisms involved in gametogenesis, and particularly in the RNA silencing process in the germ line.

Citing Articles

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Structural and Functional Characterization of a Testicular Long Non-coding RNA Identified in the Meiotic Arrest of the Mouse Testes.

Chadourne M, Poumerol E, Jouneau L, Passet B, Castille J, Sellem E Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021; 9:700290.

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