TISSUE-SPECIFIC SUBUNIT OF THE MOUSE CYTOSOLIC CHAPERONIN-CONTAINING TCP-1

We have cloned a novel Tcp-1-related mouse testis cDNA encoding a poly peptide of 531 amino acids which shares 81.2% identity with the zeta s ubunit of the mouse cytosolic chaperonin-containing TCP-1 (CCT), Immun oblot analysis of mouse testis CCT subunits separated by 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis indicates that this novel gene, Cctz-2, encodes a CCT subunit of M(r) 57 000 and pI 7.1. Cctz-2 mRNA is detected only i n testis whereas the other Cctz gene, Cctz-1, is expressed in all tiss ues investigated, The CCT zeta-2 subunit may have specific functions i n the folding of testicular proteins and for interactions with testicu lar molecular chaperones.