Expression of murine poly(A) binding protein II gene in testis

The poly(A) binding protein II gene (PAB II) has been highly conserved among mouse, bovine, and human. The promoter region of the murine PAB II gene (mPAB II) was investigated in this study. Primer extension analysis demonstrated that there are multiple sites for starting transcription. The promoter region of mPAB II gene contains a CpG island but lacks a TATA box, suggesting that the mPAB II mRNA is transcribed by a TATA-less promoter. Two transcription factor binding sites flanking the major transcription start site were confirmed by gel shift assay. The transcription level of the mPAB II gene in testis increases during spermatogenesis, and mPAB II protein accumulates densely in the nuclei of spermatocytes and round spermatids.