Tex27, a gene containing a zinc-finger domain, is up-regulated during the haploid stages of spermatogenesis

Tex27 is a gene encoding a protein containing a zinc-finger domain in the c arboxy terminal region and a transactivation domain in the amino terminal r egion. The Tex27 cDNA was isolated from a subtractive library that was enri ched for genes preferentially expressed during the development of the semin iferous epithelium. Northern and in situ hybridization analyses demonstrate d that Tex27 is differentially expressed in the testis, showing an increase d expression in the germ cells corresponding to postmeiotic stages of sperm atogenesis. This expression pattern in testis has been described for other C2H2-type zinc-finger proteins in mouse and human, like CTfin51, Zpf29, Spl , and Zpf37. RFLP-Southern assays revealed that Tex27 is conserved in mamma ls. The polypeptide analysis and expression pattern suggest that Tex27 is a potential transcription factor preferentially expressed in postmeiotic cel ls during mouse spermatogenesis. (C) 1999 Academic Press.