Evolution, structure, and expression of GNPI/Oscillin orthologous genes

Oscillin was identified from hamster sperm as a factor responsible for oocy te calcium oscillations. However, its high level of homology with the bacte rial glucosamine-6-phosphate isomerase suggests that it may play more funda mental roles. In the current study, we identified Oscillin orthologs from C aenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, mouse, and human. Their ami no acid identities with hamster oscillin were 67.0, 72.3, 97.6, and 95.5%, respectively. No Oscillin orthologs were found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae The human Oscillin gene (HGMW-approved symbol GNPI) spans 12.4 kb and consi sts of eight exons. The position of the fourth intron was conserved in othe r species. The human Oscillin promoter has features characteristic of house keeping genes, including a GC-rich content, multiple SP1 binding sites, and the absence of a TATA motif. Human and mouse Oscillin genes were ubiquitou sly expressed in all tissues examined. These data showed that Oscillin is a housekeeping gene conserved throughout evolution and do not support the no tion that Oscillin is the sperm-specific factor responsible for calcium osc illations, (C) 2000 Academic Press.