CHARACTERIZATION OF A CDNA CONTAINING TRINUCLEOTIDE REPEAT SEQUENCES THAT IS HIGHLY ENRICHED IN SPERMATOGENIC CELLS

Trinucleotide repeat sequences have become of great interest due to th eir association with specific genetic disorders. Here we report the id entification of a cDNA containing opa trinucleotide repeats from mouse testis, termed t-OPA. The opa repeat is contained within the longest open reading frame within the cDNA. Northern analysis demonstrated tha t four distinct t-OPA transcripts (1.6, 2.5, 3.6, 4.0 kilobases) are p referentially expressed in mouse and rat testis, with low expression i n the pituitary, brain, and adrenal gland. Further, t-OPA RNAs were hi ghly abundant in both pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids and decreased in cytoplasts. Polysome profile analysis indicated that t-O PA mRNAs are translated in mouse testis with efficiencies similar to o ther transcripts expressed in late meiotic/early postmeiotic spermatog enic cells. These findings thus suggest a role for cell-specific mRNAs containing opa repeats during mouse spermatogenesis. (C) 1997 Wiley-L iss, inc.